Captivated
by SmoothLadyCriminal
Summary: Ana Lewis is new to the town of Charming, CA. She craved a small town life and something different so she can leave her past behind her. She finds herself drawn to SAMCRO, the local biker club that seems to rule the town. She becomes close to one of the members but finds that being attached to a Son has its repercussions, and it can be deadly.
1. Chapter 1

The late July afternoon was hot and arid in Charming when the ragged Oldsmobile sputtered through Main St, hauling a U-Haul to the line of houses just outside of downtown. The residents first fear was that it was a new addition to SAMCRO, but once the UCLA sticker came into view, they breathed a sigh of relief. Just a college kid, coming to settle down. Nothing wrong with that.

Except this wasn't a college kid. Ana Lewis was very much an adult, who was coming with a fresh master's degree in hand, snapping up the teaching job at the high school, and determined to make a new life in a place where no one knew her. No one could tell her she was a failure, and no one could remind her just how badly she could wreck someone's life.

She drove slowly, singing along to her Motown CD as she looked at the numbers on the houses, trying to find the house that would be her home for at least a year. After what felt like forever, Ana looked at the address in her hand and matched the numbers to the house at the end of the street. She smiled at the picturesque little cottage with approval. This would be just fine.

She pulled into the driveway, and turned the tired car off.

"Easy, girl, that's enough for today," she said to the ailing car, getting out and wiping her head free of the sweat drops that threatened to fall.

A black towncar pulled in behind her, and her landlord, Elliot Oswald, got out with a welcoming smile.

"Hi, Ms. Lewis," he said, extending his hand.

"Mr. Oswald," she replied, extending it. "Nice to meet you, finally."

"Likewise. I thought I'd come and make sure everything was ready for you to move in," he said, jingling the keys on his belt. "How do you like Charming so far?"

Ana laughed without humor.

"You mean the whole ten minutes I've been here?" she asked sarcastically. There was no humor on Oswald's face so she sighed. "It's okay, I guess. I just need to get around more."

"It grows on you. Nothing like Los Angeles, though, that's for sure," Elliot replied.

Ana nodded, and prayed he was right. Los Angeles nearly destroyed her, and Charming was going to be her fresh start.

* * *

><p>The first day of the school year arrived quickly, and Ana was nervous as the students filed into her classroom. She'd taught a middle school class in Los Angeles, but this would be the first time she taught only history, and to ninth and tenth graders at that. She was barely older than them, just over a decade older, if that, and her looks didn't help much either. She'd been mistaken for a student three times at the open house, and, with the looks she was given by parents, she knew the people of Charming were having some doubts about her teaching skills. She didn't care. She had a plan to have all her students pass, and then Ana'd be the one snickering at the looks of disbelief.<p>

She sighed as the tardy bell rang, and stood at the whiteboard with a smile that some students-mostly the boys-returned.

"Good morning, class," she said.

"Morning," they replied.

"I'm Ms. Lewis, and we'll be studying American History in here," she continued. "History is probably one of the most important things to learn. Can anyone tell me why?"

Ana looked around the room and saw no hands raised. She quirked an eyebrow and smiled. "No one?"

"Do you even know?" asked one of the boys in the back row, and Ana rolled her eyes as his friend snickered. So this was how it was going to be.

"Okay, before we continue, is there anything you all want to know about me?" she asked. "The more we all know about each other, the easier it is for all of us to get through this class without any miscommunication or mistrust."

There was shifting in the class and finally one of the guys raised his hand.

"No offense, Ms. Lewis, but how old are you? You look like you go here, not teach here."

Ana wiped off the whiteboard and began to write as she spoke.

"I'm twenty six years old. I went to Pacific State for four years and double majored in History and Education. I moved to Los Angeles two years ago and got my masters in History at UCLA. I moved to Charming so I can help the History department. Your principal picked me especially for the job, and I'm happy to be here."

She turned back to the class, who were looking at the phone numbers she'd wrote down on the board in confusion, and gave them a smile.

"Those are the numbers to my academic advisors at both schools if you or your parents are doubting my competence. Any questions?"

The class shook their heads, and Ana went back to her lesson, wondering how many more times she was going to go through this.

* * *

><p>"No, no no no NO!"<p>

Her first day was not ending well. She snapped a nail as she locked the classroom door and now her car was not wanting to cooperate. Ana couldn't deny that the car was old, and the trip from LA to Charming took a lot out of the old girl, but this was her first car. Years of babysitting, minimum wage jobs, and hustling term papers were what paid for it, and now after four years, it was giving up on her.

Ana punched the steering wheel in distress, and her reaction was noticed by her co worker, Ethan McBride. She'd met him on the open house day and he'd been one of the few men who'd treated her like an equal.

"Hey, it quit?" he asked, looking at her sympathetically. Ana nodded as she got out, tears in her eyes. She kicked the tire in frustration.

"Jesus, what am I going to do?" she asked.

Ethan pursed his lips and thought for a minute.

"You could call Teller Morrow, they're the local garage and tow company. Gemma and Clay are fair, they'll work with you," he said, writing down a number and giving it to her.

"Really?" Ana asked. She could use fair right now, after the day of consecending crap she had.

"Yeah. Just say McBride referred you, okay?"

"Alright. Thanks, Ethan," Ana said, punching in the number. It rang for a while and right before she was about to hang up, someone answered.

"Teller Morrow, this is Gemma."

"Hi, um, I need a tow. My car's broke down at Charming High School."

"Mom and Dad not home?"

"I'm a teacher?" Ana asked, a little offended. Ethan thought this was fair? "Ethan McBride said you could help."

She heard a sigh on the other end, and it sounded like this Gemma person was sitting down.

"Sorry, darlin, you just sound like a kid and it's been a rough day. I'll have a couple of my guys bring it in, okay?"

"Thank you," Ana said curtly, not buying the apology.

"Name?" Gemma asked directly.

"Analis Lewis."

"Okay, Ms. Lewis, we'll see you in a bit."

Ana hung up and sighed. This was just not her day. She bade Ethan goodbye as she sat on the hood of her car and waited for the tow truck. There was no way this day could get even worse.

* * *

><p>Half Sack and Chibs pulled beside the only car in the high school parking lot, where a young woman sat on the hood, looking utterly forlorn. They were thrown off for a minute, but this had to be the right car.<p>

"Gemma said it was a teacher's car," Half Sack said, confused at the youthfulness of the woman.

"Aye, lad, and that'd be the teacher, I suppose," Chibs said, appreciatively. "You Mrs. Lewis, lass?" he called out, getting out of the truck.

"It's Ms. Lewis, and yes, I am," Ana said, looking at the Scot. Her eyes widened at his scars but he smiled anyway.

"New in town, aren't you?"

"Been here since late July," she said, shrugging. "Why?"

"Oh, you'll know soon enough."

Ana rolled her eyes. She didn't have time for mind games, not today.

"Are you here for this piece of shit?" she asked, frustrated.

Chibs's eyes widened at the woman's bluntness. No one had ever been that direct with him, no stranger at least. He was used to people being wary of him. The girl had spunk, that was for sure.

"Aye," he said. "I'm Chibs, that there's Half Sack. We'll be towing your car to the garage. You need a ride?"

Ana nodded, visibly relaxing as she took in their names.

"Yes, thank you," she said. "Half Sack and Chibs, huh? You guys gay porn stars or something?"

Chibs laughed at the woman's nerve.

"No, dearie, I'm all about the pussy and poor Sack over there only has the one nut. They're just nicknames, love."

Ana cracked a smile, despite her shitty day. She liked this Chibs guy.

"I'm just messing with you. I appreciate the help and the lift."

"Well, let's get her hooked up and we'll be on the way."

* * *

><p>Forty five minutes after they arrived at the garage, Chibs approached Ana in the office warily. She'd been quiet most of the way back, and since neither Gemma or Clay were around at the moment, he told her to go wait in the office while they tried to sort out her car. Now he had bad news for her, and he was sure that she was already having a crap day.<p>

"Car's gone lass. Nothing we can do, she was an old girl," he said to her carefully as he stood in the doorway.

"Shit!" Ana said, putting her face in her hands. She was on the verge of tears. "How am I supposed to get to work?"

"You give us the hunk of metal for a down payment on one of our repos," said a female's voice behind the Scot.

Ana recognized the voice as the woman she'd talked to on the phone. Chibs moved aside for the woman to step through.

Ana was impressed. She was obviously older, but still dressed like she was in her twenties and looked good doing it. She had a "don't fuck with me" vibe, much like the one Ana tried to carry. This woman carried it much better than she did at the moment.

"Gemma Teller, Ms. Lewis," she said, introducing herself. "Gotta say, you look a little young to be a teacher."

Ana resisted the urge to roll her eyes in front of this woman. She didn't know why, but she got the vibe that this was one chick you just didn't cross.

"I just got my masters this past spring," Ana said, shaking Gemma's hand. "And as for your offer, I don't know if I can even accept it."

Gemma sat down and motioned for Ana to sit as well. As Ana did, Gemma took a puff of a cigarette and sighed.

"Look, I get it. You're new to Charming, trying to be independentand you don't like to accept charity and all that shit. I know how it works, darling," Gemma said, holding up her hand as Ana began to protest. "But the fact is you need a car, Ana, or all that independent bullshit flies out the window. This isn't charity. You'll be making payments and you don't seem the type to get behind, so I'll take that scrap metal out there as a down payment. All you need to do is go into our repo lot and pick out something that you like. Within reason, of course. I'll even send one of my guys with you if you have trouble."

Ana sighed, and saw there was no way of wiggling out of this. Charming didn't have a bus service, and she needed a car.

"Alright," Ana replied. She was in no position to refuse it, and at least something good came from today.

Gemma smiled.

"Good."

"I'll send Juice with her," Chibs said, still at the door as he watched the conversation. "Lad needs to be around women sometimes, he worries me a bit."

Gemma snorted, and Ana did roll her eyes this time. What the hell was it with the guys' names around here?

"Yeah, send Stupid Tat with her, that'll be fun."

Chibs winked at Ana and left, with Gemma in his wake.

* * *

><p>"Juicy boy where are you?"<p>

"In here, Chibbie," Juice called from his dorm room, focusing on shooting a few enemies on Call of Duty. "Die motherfuckers die!"

Chibs rolled his eyes as he opened the door. There was Juice, shirtless and playing a stupid video game on his day off. Chibs loved the boy to death, but there was no understanding the way his mind worked.

"Get off the game, boy. Gemma has a job for you," he said, sitting on the bed.

Juice paused the game and looked at Chibs with curiousity. Gemma rarely asked him to do anything, so he was assuming this was about computers.

"She finally getting a card reader or something?" Juice asked.

Chibs snorted.

"Don't we wish? No. Teacher came in with a dead car, we need you to help her pick out a repo," he said, hitting the power button on the remote for the TV. He dodged the pillow Juice threw at him with laughter.

"Leave me with the boring clients, I see how you are," Juice said, throwing on a shirt and putting his shoes on. "I hate teachers, they're old and mean and fail people for no damn reason."

Chibs began to speak but thought against it. Let the boy be surprised.

"Gemma will have your balls if you don't," he said.

Juice groaned.

"I'll do it for Gemma, I like my dick attached to my body after all," he said. "Because if she doesn't have my nuts then Clay will, and I'm trying to stay on his good side."

Chibs and Juice walked out of the clubhouse together, dodging the crow eaters that called out to them with ease. Juice was still grumbling about bullshit teachers and Chibs was smirking, knowing he'd shut up when he saw the teacher in question.

Juice walked across the lot as Chibs spotted Jax and walked his way. Juice found Gemma standing in the doorway of her office. She waved him over with a grin and he broke out into a run.

"Hey, sweetie," she said, kissing his cheek.

"What's up, Gem?" he asked. "Heard my services were needed."

"Ana here needs a car, think you could help her?"

Juice looked over at Ana and his mind went blank.

When Chibs said teacher, he'd expected a stern uptight ice queen around Gemma's age, but instead what he got was a woman a little younger than he was. She was short, with long brown wavy hair, tanned skin, and when she turned to face him, he was floored by her eyes. They weren't doe-like or big, but they were definitely expressive and noticable. Brown. A warm brown, like chocolate or something. She had a small oval face with soft features.

Juice pulled himself out of the trance he'd gone into staring at her when Gemma and Ana were both looking at him expectantly.

"Yeah," he said automatically. "Yeah, we can work something out. Come on."

Ana looked amused as they walked toward the lot where all the repos went. Juice was trying to think of something to say where he wouldn't look like an idiot. He was trying to figure out why she was teaching in Charming and not doing something awesome, like modeling in LA or something.

"So, Chibs, with the scars. Half Sack with one nut, and Juice with a Mohawk and tribal tats on his head. Are you three the main attraction, or am I going to see a big buff guy named Tiny soon?" she asked as he led her to the repo lot.

Juice snorted. So she was sarcastic under those looks. He could handle sarcastic just fine.

"We have a very scary guy named Happy who hangs around," he said, unlocking the gate and opening it for her..

"I take it he's not named for his sunny disposition?" she asked.

"Not at all," Juice said. He let her go in in front of him, since it was the gentlmanly thing to do. He knew most of the guys would have already started to flirt with her by now, but he wasn't that type of person. At least, not with women like her.

He observed her as she walked among the cars, peering in the windows to see what condition they were in. She finally stopped at a Miata and leaned against it as she rubbed the back of her neck in frustration.

"I can't believe she's letting me do this," she said as he walked over.

Juice shrugged. He didn't know this woman's backstory, but he knew, even without her having to tell him, that she wasn't used to people doing things for her.

"Gemma's a tough woman, but she's kind, too. We take care of our own in this town."

Ana smiled a little, and Juice felt that weird feeling in his stomach, as if he'd missed a step climbing up a staircase. She had a pretty smile, even if it was a little sad.

"Starting to get that feeling," she said, eyeing the Miata. "I think I'll take this one for now, until I can buy my own."

Juice nodded and jingled the keys on his belt.

"Alright, let me go into that building and get the keys so you can test it out," Juice said. A few minutes later he came back and tossed the keys to her.

She slid in and Juice got in the passenger seat. After a quick test drive around the block, she confirmed she wanted it. Juice rode with her as she pulled it into a parking spot near the office, and bid Ana farewell as she went into the office to do paperwork

"Everything go okay?" Gemma asked as she walked in. Ana nodded.

"He's very...smiley?" Ana said questioningly. "He was a big help, though, and I'm getting the Miata."

"Oh, that's good," Gemma said. Then she smiled affectionately at Juice's retreating figure. "That one is sort of the baby around here. He's a little younger than my son, I think, but he's just one overgrown child most of the time. He's always cheerful." Gemma observed Ana as she filled out the paperwork. "I think that's why Chibs asked him to go with you. You look as if you've had a rough day, sweetheart."

Ana looked up, surprised that Gemma was actually being kind to her. She looked for signs that the older woman had an ulterior motive, but the only emotion in her face was concern.

Ana shrugged, and bit her lip before she answered.

"I'm just...it's weird. I come here because the principal saw my grades in college, saw I had some success with a middle school class in LA, and he wanted me here to help the students succeed. But I get here, and it's like no one trusts me simply because I'm like some little girl or something. I normally don't get flustered but it's just been a bad day."

Gemma nodded, and handed over the Miata keys.

"Well it just got a little better. Welcome to Charming," she said.

"Yeah, thanks," she said, taking them with a smile.

She gathered her bag and walked out to the Miata. The guy named Juice was sitting at a picnic table with some blonde guy and he glanced at her as she opened the car door. He smiled at her and waved, which she returned hesitantly. She looked at the weird reaper that was on the building behind him. For a quick minute, she felt uneasy, but she pushed the feeling away.

As she drove out of the parking lot, Ana had no idea that she'd just got a new car from the most feared people in the town. The Sons of Anarchy.

* * *

><p><em><strong>So I'm revamping the first few chapters. I'm thickening it up from the dialogue-y crap I had earlier. I'm hoping you guys will like it. <strong>_


	2. Chapter 2

Ana became more and more adjusted to life in Charming as time passed. Three months later, she'd began a relationship with Casey Jones, a professor at the college in Lodi. She'd met him at a history conference one weekend, and they hit it off. She didn't love the man, but she enjoyed spending time with him.

She loved her job. Teaching American History was something dear to her, as she loved reading history books growing up. She always told her class that without history, they were nothing, as they would one day become a part of someone'else's history. She stole that line from one of her professors at UCLA, but the ninth graders seemed to understand it well enough. Gradually, her students warmed up to her, and soon they were coming to her without shame if they needed help. Her first quarter grade for all of her classes were the highest in the school, and she'd made it known that while she may be young, she wasn't fucking around when it came to her job.

"Anyone know where Tristen is?" she asked one day, just before Halloween. It was her last class of the day, and she was ready to go home and call it a day. She saw a couple of girls look at each other, uncertainly, and knew that whatever it was, things were seriously wrong.

"She's in the hospital, Ms. Lewis," one of them said.

One of the boys in the back of the class snorted, and Ana shot them a glare that they didn't catch.

"Yeah, she was r-"

"Hush, Lucas!" the girl yelled at the boy. Ana saw a storm brewing and decided to nip it in the bud. She had a feeling she knew what Lucas was about to say, although she prayed he was wrong.

"Settle down, Carla. See me after class, okay? Everyone else, keep Tristen in your thoughts. I hope she gets better," Ana said, feeling dread seep in her stomach but continuing with her lesson.

* * *

><p>After talking to Carla, Ana was in the teacher's lounge trying to hide her tears. Tristen was a lovely girl, and one of the sweetest people she'd ever met. Now she was laying in a bed after being raped at Fun Town, the local carnival, and she wasn't talking to anyone about it.<p>

"I'm telling you, it was the Sons," one of her coworkers said to another at the coffee pot.

Ana looked up.

"Sons?" she asked, confused. "What's the Sons?"

"Oh, sorry, Ms. Lewis, I keep forgetting you're new in town. We're talking about the Sons of Anarchy," he said. "Mr. Davis."

Ana shook his hand hesitantly.

"Who are the Sons of Anarchy?" she asked.

"Local biker gang. It used to be horrible around here, but they've calmed down a lot. I guess they got restless again."

The other teacher shook his head.

"I don't think it was them. Morrow hates rapists, he wouldn't have one in his ranks."

Ana listened as they talked, and the name Morrow jumped out at her. She knew that name, she just couldn't place it as to where she'd heard it before.

"That Trager man is an exception. Guy is freaky."

"So because they're different than you, they're automatically the suspects?" Ana asked suddenly, getting pissed off at Mr. Davis's self righteousness.

"Like I said, you're new. You'll figure it out soon enough," Mr. Davis said, shrugging as if she was a student he taught, and not a coworker equal to him. That just pissed Ana off even more.

"All I need to figure out right now is where I can visit my student," she said, glaring.

The other teacher wrote something down.

"St. Thomas hospital. Not too far from here," he said, trying to diffuse the tension.

"Thank you," she said in a clipped tone, gathering her things and leaving the lounge, slamming the door behind her.

She remembered why she hated small towns. Everyone had that self righteous attitude about anyone who didn't conform to the majority's ideals, and it sickened Ana. She was beginning to wonder why she even decided to come to Charming, but she put her anger aside for the moment. All she needed to do now was see how her student was doing.

* * *

><p>Ana made her way to Tristen's room with flowers. She could see a couple of cops and Tristen's parents outside the door, and decided to carefully approach them.<p>

"Mr. and Mrs. Oswald?" she asked.

Elliot Oswald turned, and recognized Ana immediately. Ana was a little surprised to learn that her landlord's daughter was one of her students, but she offered a sympathetic smile as she offered her hand.

"Hi, Ms. Lewis," Elliot said, shaking her hand. "Honey, this is that lady who rents from us off of Juniper Street, and Tristen's teacher."

"I heard about what happened. I am so sorry," she said, shaking Mrs. Oswald's hand.

"Thank you," she said. "These for her?"

"Yes," Ana said. "Is she up for visitors? I have some messages from her classmates."

"Of course," Elliot said. "Just...don't ask her about, you know."

Ana nodded and walked in. She saw Tristen, looking bruised and utterly woebegone. Ana sat and sighed.

"Hey, honey," she said.

"Ms. Lewis?" Tristen asked hoarsely.

"I heard about what happened. I'm so sorry," Ana said. "Our class wants you to get better, okay?"

Tristain began crying, and Ana's heart nearly broke as she sobbed. This poor girl had been through hell, and there was nothing anyone could do to make it better right now.

"I don't know if I want to go back, Ms. Lewis."

Ana took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Take all the time you need, okay? I want you to focus on you, not trying to get back to school."

They sat in silence for a while before Mrs. Oswald came back in.

"Police are wanting to talk to her," she explained.

Ana nodded. "Okay, I'll get going. Keep us posted, okay? Like I told her, no rush to get back to school."

"I appreciate that. Thank you for coming," Mrs. Oswald said.

Ana walked out of the room and closed the door. Turning, she saw the cops talking to a man in a leather vest, with a couple of other guys behind him wearing the same thing. She walked by them without drawing attention to herself, and then turned and looked again.

The back of their vests had a reaper with "Sons of Anarchy" across the top. All three of them looked menancing and dangerous, and she could definitely understand the fear that the town had of them. She knew that reaper from somewhere. She'd seen it at the garage. All of a sudden, it clicked.

Shit. Teller Morrow Garage. _Morrow._ She was buying a car from the fucking Sons of Anarchy. Wasn't her luck great?

* * *

><p>Gemma noticed Ana on the way out, and made her way over to her retreating figure. She caught her just before the elevators closed..<p>

"Ms. Lewis! How are you?" she asked brightly, a warm smile on her face.

Ana plastered a fake smile on hers.

"I'm fine, Mrs. Morrow," she said, quickly. Too quickly for Gemma, whose perception was better than anyone else in Charming.

"Ah," Gemma replied, taking in her face. "I take it someone told you about the Sons?"

Ana nodded lamely, not knowing exactly what to say.

"Hearsay around school," she said, remembering the harsh words she'd given Davis and hated herself for feeling fear of the club after berating him for doing the same. Talk about hypocrisy

"What kind of hearsay?" Gemma asked, cooly.

"Some think the Sons had something to do with this. My student, Tristen Oswald, being raped," Ana admitted.

Gemma nodded in understanding, but Ana could tell she as pissed off as she asked her next question.

"Do you think so?"

"No!" Ana replied. She couldn't see the woman in front of her ever being okay with being around men who raped other people, and she definitely wouldn't have moved to a town where rape was rampant. Which it would have been if the club had apparently been around for years as everyone claimed it had.

"We're not the bad guys, Ana," Gemma said. "We keep the bad guys out. We just...slip sometimes while doing it. But we're looking for this guy so he doesn't hurt someone else."

Ana sighed and gave Gemma a small, apologetic smile. She felt horrible for fearing the club. If Oswald knew them, they couldn't be all that bad.

"Tristen is one of my best students. Bright girl. If she was my daughter...I'd want the bastard who did it dead."

Gemma nodded.

"You and me both"

* * *

><p>Saturday was her cleaning and relaxing day. In the three months since she'd arrived, she'd turned the generic 2 bedroom house she'd been renting into a home that suited her personality. She'd made the second room into her officeart studio, and most of the painting that hung on her walls were her own. She'd painted the front room and kitchen in warm oranges and yellows, and her bedroom was a calming blue with purple trim. Motown and old movie posters were hanging on the walls, and she was always sure to have music playing.

After she'd gotten done cleaning the house, Ana decided to take a drive to town. Casey had tried calling her three times already, and she was trying to ignore him. The novelty of the relationship was wearing off, and Ana just couldn't see herself being serious with him. She would deal with him later, she decided as she parked by the barber shop.

Ana was walking to the post office when she saw a cop standing over a body on the ground. He was laughing a bit, so Ana decided to go see what was up. When she reached him and saw who the unlucky person was, she had to cover her mouth before she cracked up into a laughing mess.

"Oh, my Christ," she said, a giggle escaping her lips.

The guy who had helped her pick out her car, Juice, was passed out in a diaper, a pacifier duct taped to his mouth with a sign stapled to his chest. "Slightly retarded child, please adopt me."

The policeman looked over at her, and raised his eyebrow. Ana read "Deputy Chief" on his badge, and realized he probably hadn't heard of her yet.

"Friend of yours?"

Ana shook her head, turning where he couldn't see her laughing. After she composed herself, she turned back to him with a smile that she hoped would put her on his good side. If he even had one.

"We've met, but I'm new in town," she explained, choking back another laugh as the cop kicked Juice's boot.

"Hey, idiot, get up!" the police man said. Juice stirred and cracked open his eyes to see the police man standing over him. "Man, you must have really pissed off your buddies."

"Sorry, chief," Juice said, getting up and looking down at the sign on his chest. He groaned as he stretched widely, wincing as the staples pulled at his skin.

"Get out of here before I slap an indecent exposure on you," the policeman said, rolling his eyes. Juice cracked a half smile at that.

"Yeah, I gotta go, I'm late for my eight o clock feeding," Juice said, and Ana snorted back another laugh. Juice looked her way and his eyes widened in horrified recognition.

"Shit," he said, ripping the sign off. Ana winced as blood began to run down his chest, and she felt sorry for the guy.

"Ow?" Ana asked, a grin on her face. "You need a ride back to the garage?"

Juice sighed and nodded.

"Please?"

Ana giggled.

"Let's go, child," she said, leading him to her car. He got in and she took off toward TM.

This was just his damn luck. Juice didn't know what happened last night,. He knew he was in the middle of getting the guns ready for Clay, but then he ended up falling asleep. He was so sure he got them all done, though. Now he was laid out in the middle of the town, in a fucking diaper no less, and the first girl to see him was the hot ass teacher.

"You need to treat those," Ana said, pointing at the bleeding wounds on his chest and bringing him out of his embarassed inner monologue.

"I know," Juice grumbled, pressing on one of the wounds so he wouldn't get blood in the car. "I feel like shit."

"Sleeping on a sidewalk does that, I heard," Ana said, turning into the parking lot. "What did you do, anyway?"

"I don't know. I remember taking these vitamins that Tig gave me, and I just...oh that motherfucker," Juice said, groaning. "I know what I did, or what I didn't do."

Ana shook her head in amusement as he got out. Wolf whistles greeted him as he flipped them off.

"Thanks for the ride," he said to Ana, who winked.

"Don't mention it. Now go get your bottle and lay down for your nap," she teased and laughed as he flipped her off, too.

Pulling out, she realized that he had to be a Son, too. Despite his boyish face and innocent nature, Juice was a member of the most feared group in town.

And that made Ana a little sad.


	3. Chapter 3

Ana had a big problem. Its name was Casey, and he was getting on her last nerve.

He'd began to get possessive, jealous, and clingy as of late, and she was tired of his bullshit. She didn't date for this very reason, and at this rate, she was ready to be celibate. If this is what half decent sex got her, she would rather take matters into her own hands.

She looked at the phone in disgust and replayed the voice mail he'd left her.

"Hey babe, we're going out. Wear that blue dress I like."

Ana snorted as she hit delete on the voicemail. She really didn't appreciate being told what to do. She was over 18, and this man wasn't her father.

Ana sighed as she dialed his number. She decided it was time to call it quits with him before things got worse. Besides, life was too short to be with someone who made her skin crawl, and it was unfair to them both.

"Hey, boo," he said, and Ana fought back the urge to retch.

"I'm not going out tonight."

"Why not?" he asked, irritation ringing in his voice.

Ana rolled her eyes. She wasn't about to give him some bullshit justification. Might as well get it over with.

"Because we need to cool off for a little bit," she said nonchalantly, flipping through the channels as she waited for the bomb to drop.

"Are you breaking up with me?" he asked.

"Yep," Ana said in a monotone. She knew she was being a bitch but she knew a subtle approach wasn't the way to go with guys like this. "You were fun but now you're being a possessive prick and I don't do possessive pricks. See you around, yeah?"

She hung up before he could even answer and got back to her budget. She didn't feel one ounce of guilt at how she'd just treated him. Guys were allowed to drop girls at the drop of a hat without feeling bad, so why wasn't she?

She looked over the budget and saw she had a payment at TM coming up, so she wrote down that she'd pay it that Saturday, after mailing in her loan payment to ULCA.

* * *

><p>Saturday came, and Ana could not have been happier. Casey was still calling multiple times a day, but she hadn't recieved one today. She was hoping he'd finally got the hint, and was finally leaving her alone. He'd tried to visit her at the school Thursday, but couldn't get past the office. It was annoying, but thankfully he left without causing too much of a scene.<p>

Ana got into her car and put some music on. She pulled out and headed to Teller Morrow, smiling along the way. She was hoping Juice or whatever his stupid name was was there. She could use the eye candy, and could tease him a little bit about the diaper incident. Then again, maybe not. He did look embarrassed enough when she'd dropped him off, she didn't want to add to that.

Ana was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the Mercedes Benz creeping up on her. By the time she did, she noticed he was a little close to her back end so she sped up and little, and then her heart sunk when she noticed that he sped up, as well.

"You have got to be kidding me with this shit," Ana said angrily, noticing Casey staring intently at her car from his. She stepped on the gas and he sped up again. "FUCK!"

She looked around for her phone, and located it instantly. She grabbed it and began scrolling through her contacts. Se stopped at the garage's number. Hesitating, she debated on calling it. Did she really want to get the Sons involved in this?

She saw Casey pull around and try to swerve into her car. She swerved onto the dirt but got back on the road, and punched the gas again, trying to shake this motherfucker. She looked at her phone again, and with determination, she hit dial. Her heart was racing, and she knew that if she didn't get help soon, Casey was going to have her killed.

She wasn't about to let this psychotic asshole get his way.

* * *

><p>"Hello, Teller Morrow," Jucie said, answering the ringing phone and putting it on speaker as he worked on the computer. "This is Juice."<p>

"Juice, I need help. It's Ana."

Ana? Needing help from the garage?

"You need a tow or something?" Juice asked as Chibs walked in, about to ask something. Juice put his hand up and pointed at the phone.

"No, I- DAMMIT CASEY YOU'RE GOING TO GET ME KILLED!"

Chibs raised an eyebrow and Juice stared at him wide eyed. This didn't sound good at all.

"Ana? What's wrong? Who's Casey?" he asked, worried a little. She sounded like she was driving, and she sounded scared as hell.

"I have an asshole trying to run me off the road!"

Chibs growled as Juice clenched his jaw. He didn't like this one bit, and if she needed their help, then that's what they were going to do.

"Where you at, doll?" Chibs asked, tossing Juice his cut and helmet as Juice powered the computer down.

"Close to the garage," she said. "I don't know what street, I'm going like 90 here."

"Drive by here, don't pull in. We'll be waiting," Chibs said, grabbing Juice's keys and his own. "Let's go, boyo."

* * *

><p>Ana saw the fence of the garage and punched the gas again. Out of the corner of her eye she saw two men on bikes pull out of the driveway behind Casey's car.<p>

Ana sighed in relief and sped toward her house. She screamed as she heard a gunshot, and, looking in the rearview, she saw Casey's car do a tailspin. She didn't stick around to find out what had happened, though. Her main focus was getting home without wrecking or getting a ticket.

When she looked again, she could only see one biker behind her, and Casey's car was gone. Taking a deep breath, she slowed back down to an acceptable speed and tried to get her breathing in control. She ignored the tears rolling down her face as she pulled onto her street, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her house.

She coasted into her driveway and put her head on the steering wheel, breathing in deeply and fiddling with the ring on her necklace nervously. She heard a tap at her window and looked up in panic.

It was Juice, still in his helmet. Sighing in relief, she rolled down the window.

"You okay?" he asked kindly as he took off his helmet. She nodded.

"Yeah, just..."

"The adrenaline is leaving your body and now you're probably on the verge of having a panic attack," Juice said, opening the car door. "Slide your legs out and put your head between your knees."

"Are you a doctor or something?" she asked, her voice snippy with irritation.

Juice rolled his eyes at her tone.

"No," he shot back. "But Chibs was a medic and there's a chick around the club who's a doctor and I just happen to be a good listener, despite what everyone else thinks. But pass out if you want, I'm just trying to help."

Ana looked up at him in surprise. His tone was definitely not something she expected, being that he was almost always a sweetheart whenever she was around him. Guilt filled her stomach when she took in the look on his face, and she put her head on her knees as she heard another motorcycle pull up.

"The lass okay?" she heard Chibs's voice say worriedly.

"Yeah, Chibby, she's fine," Juice said, an edge still on his voice. Ana felt a little bad for snapping at the kid. He was just trying to help after all.

Ana looked back up to see Chibs walking over.

"He won't be messing with you again." he said, smiling kindly at her.

"Did you kill him?" Ana asked, concerned. She hated Casey at the moment, but she definitely didn't want him dead.

"No, lass. Just his tire to slow him down. He gets the point. I take it he's an ex boyfriend?"

Ana nodded.

"Broke up with him a few days ago. He didn't take it well," she said, smiling a little as she stood up. "Thanks guys. Really. I appreciate it."

Chibs nodded as he went back to the bike. Juice stayed behind a minute, still looking a little ticked off.

"He bothers you again, let us know," he said, turning to go back.

"Hey, Juice?" she asked. When he turned Ana smiled sadly. "I'm sorry. You were trying to help and I was a bitch."

Juice's anger faded into a small smile of his own.

"You weren't. A bitch, I mean. You were scared. And I get it. You sure you're going to be alright?" he asked kindly.

Ana nodded, grabbing her keys from her pocket.

"I'll be fine. Thanks again."

She walked into her house and locked the door, sighing as she heard their bikes kick on and leave. She didn't know if they expected payback or something, but Ana wasn't going to sit there and hear anyone talk shit about the Sons again.

* * *

><p>Clay was waiting at the garage as Juice and Chibs pulled back in.<p>

"Mind telling me why you left Lowell and the fucking prospect in charge?" he asked.

"Someone needed help," Juice said as he got off his bike. He tossed his helmet over to a crow eater as he and Chibs followed Clay into the garage's office. Clay was really pissed off, and Juice knew most of the heat would be on him if Clay didn't like the explanation.

"Aye," Chibs said. "Lady who makes her payments for the Miata was being chased. Had to take care of it."

Whatever Clay had been expecting, it wasn't that.

"That teacher that Gemma helped?" Clay asked, in disbelief. The other two men nodded and Clay rubbed his face, exhausted.

"Jesus Christ," he said. "She okay?"

"Yeah," Juice said. "It was an ex boyfriend who didn't take the break up well. Chibs handled him. I made sure she got home alright."

Clay nodded, and narrowed his eyes at a spot on the wall. The other two waited for him to speak again.

"Do some digging on her," Clay finally told Juice, who opened his mouth to protest. "I don't want her around if she attracts trouble. Let me know what you find."

Juice sighed. The president asked you to do something, you either did it or you were out. What choice did he really have here?

"Alright," he said in resignation. "Fill Gemma in?"

"I'll do that," Clay said. "Chibs, back to work."

Later, Juice opened his laptop and did a quick Google search for "Ana Lewis", and got some basic information from school and government databases. Jax and Clay checked up on him just as he was looking for criminal records.

"Here's an arrest from last year," Juice said, clicking on it. It pulled up a mugshot of Ana, whose eyes were red rimmed but defiant. She had shorter hair, and her face was thin and gaunt, as if she hadn't eaten in days.

"Looked a little rough," Clay said as Jax looked over Juice's shoulder at the charge.

"Assault?" Jax asked. As he read the police report his eyes got wider. "On her own father?"

Apparently, Ana had asked her father to leave her home, and when he refused, instead of calling the police, she smashed a lamp across the back of his head. Juice did a quick search of the nation's crime database and couldn't find any more arrests.

"That's her only charge. Not even a damn traffic ticket," Juice said.

"Analis Lily Lewis, born in New Orleans on November 2, 1982. Moved to Seattle at the age of three, after her mom died. Straight A student, perfect 4.0 all through college. Only arrested once for assault on her father, moved to LA to get her Masters which she recieved this past year. Assault's the only thing on her, not even a parking ticket," he said. "Today was just a pissed off ex boyfriend."

Clay nodded and Jax sat back and looked at both Juice and Clay.

"What do you think, Pres?" Jax asked, cooly. Juice felt the tension rise in the room. He knew Jax and Clay were butting heads lately, but were they really about to do this over Ana? A chick that had nothing to do with the club?

Clay glanced back over at Juice, then back at Jax. Finally he threw up his hands.

"Gemma would kill me if I told her her new friend couldn't come over anymore," he said, getting up and walking away. Jax smirked as he got up and looked over at Juice, who was still looking at the police report with concern.

"You did good today, Juice," Jax said before he left. "Takes a lot of heart to do what you and Chibs did for her. Proud of you."

Juice felt happiness at the VP's praise, but as he studied Ana's information, he felt something odd in his stomach.

What would make a woman so angry that she would assault her own father? He bookmarked the page as he heard his name being called. He'd definitely dig into that, later.


	4. Chapter 4

A month later, Ana sat in the office waiting for Gemma to come and accept her payment.

Charming had definitely grown on Ana. She liked the small town, the people, and the way everyone seemed to actually care about you. She'd found a favorite eatery downtown, across the street from the barber shop. Everything screamed "small and loving it" and Ana couldn't have been more pleased with the place she'd chosen to call home.

"Hey sweetheart," Gemma said, coming in. This would be the first time since they'd met that Gemma had personally taken a payment from her. "Sorry, Juice is on an errand for my husband so I had to fuss with him about leaving my computer guy behind."

"It's no problem, Mrs. Morrow," Ana said, digging out her check for the payment.

"Please call me Gemma. Mrs. Morrow makes me sound like I should be pinching little kids' cheeks and calling everyone dear," Gemma said, pretending to be offended. "I don't do that shit."

"Okay, Gemma," Ana said, laughing a little and handing her the check.

"This isn't going to bounce on me, is it?" Gemma said warily. That was another thing she was pissed with Clay about. Juice was supposed to install the new card readers so she wouldn't have to deal with the check hassle. Clay had been his normal asshole self, and said no one else could have been spared to handle the Indian Hills cargo.

Ana shook her head. "No, I just checked the bank before I came here, it's good."

"Good," Gemma said, putting it in a deposit bag. "How are you liking Charming?"

"I love it. It's just the change of pace I needed," Ana said with a smile.

"City girl, huh?" Gemma observed. She knew as much from what Juice had told Clay, but she wanted to see how honest this girl was.

"Seattle, mostly. Moved to LA after graduating there, to get my masters in American History," Ana explained. Gemma nodded with approval.

"What brought you to Charming?" she asked, knowing this answer would be more complicated. Other than the assault arrest on her father, there was no other clues as to what really made her leave the city.

Ana shrugged.

"Honestly, the job. I was getting restless in LA, so I took it and didn't look back," she said quickly, much too quickly for Gemma's liking. There was definitely a story there, and Gemma wanted to know what it was. Not just to satisfy her nosy nature, but to make sure no danger was coming to her guys.

"You got family?" Gemma asked, curiously, and was shocked when Ana shook her head.

"I have a sperm donor, but no, no family," she said, fiddling with the ring again. Gemma noted the sadness in the girl's eyes and felt sorry for her.

"That's sad," she said. "You're a bright girl, someone out there has to be proud of you."

"I suppose my mom is, in wherever it is we go after this life," Ana replied.

They were silent for a moment.

"I heard about the chase. That guy still bothering you?" Gemma finally asked.

Ana smiled and shook her head.

"Nah. Juice and Chibs took care of that," she replied.

"They're good guys," Gemma said. "Juice is a bit of an idiot but he's a good kid. The guy is nuts over computers, was cleaning viruses off of ours for weeks."

Ana laughed.

"I saw him in a diaper downtown a few weeks ago, I decided to give him a lift home."

"That was you? Oh, he was so embarassed and now I know why. I think he's got a bit of a thing for you," Gemma teased.

Ana laughed again. She liked Gemma a lot, in the way a niece would like a favorite aunt. She felt comfortable around her, even if she did ask a lot of questions.

"Well, that should teach him not to do whatever it was that he did again," she said, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes.

"That it should. I'll let you get going now, but call if there's anything you need."

"Will do," Ana said, heading back to her car.

She was just about to leave when she saw a good looking man with chin length blonde hair running towards her.

"You Ana?" he asked as she rolled down her window.

"Yeah, who's asking?" she asked, apprehensive. Good looks normally meant trouble with men like this.

The guy grinned.

"Jax Teller. I'm Gemma's son," he explained. "My mom forgot to ask you something so she asked me to stop you."

"What's that?" Ana asked, unfazed by his smile. Yeah, he was cute. But word around town was Jax Teller had a kid in the NICU and there was no way in fuck that she was about to jump into that cesspool of fuckery.

"She runs this thing, called the Taste of Charming. Helps with the kids in the schools and all that-"

"Yeah, I heard of it a couple days ago. Funds are going to my high school for the music department I think," Ana said, remembering.

"She wanted to know if you were going," Jax asked.

Ana nodded.

"Yeah, I'll go. Be a good way for me to get to know the town a little better," she said.

Jax grinned again.

"Alright. Be safe getting home," he said, tapping the roof of her car.

"Thanks," Ana said, giving him a quick smile back. His smile was contagious, not unlike Juice's. Who also had good looks, but for someone reason, seemed immune to most of the bullshit that came with being a good looking outlaw type. Sure, she knew there had to be something up, but the dude was so fucking happy all the time that it seemed unlikely anything could bring him down.

Ana shook her head, trying to get the Mohawked kid out of her mind. She pulled out of the garage, wondering what the town would think about her becoming friends with the matriarch of the club they feared, before she remembered that she didn't really give a shit.

* * *

><p>Ana arrived at the Taste of Charming late, and while she was looking for Gemma, she ran into a man dressed like Elvis. As luck would have it, Gemma was with him, but that was where luck ran out. Gemma looked pissed with this Elvis guy, and that didn't bode well for Ana, either.<p>

"You know how hard it is to fit this into a helmet?" he asked her, before noticing Ana.

"Help you?" he asked kindly. Ana shook her head.

"Nope, just came to alert Gemma of my presence," she said. "Nice costume."

"We don't call him Bobby Elvis for nothing," Gemma said, punching him in the ribs. "Get to the kids, you come with me," she said to Ana as Bobby headed to the Elvis tent.

"Okay? Where are we going?" Ana asked, a little worried.

"Oh, just introducing you to a couple of people," Gemma said.

Ana followed her to a tent where two other women were cooking something that smelled delicious.

"Luanne, Tara, this is Ana Lewis. New in town," Gemma said nonchalantly, rummaging in a bag for something.

"Crow eater?" Luanne asked.

Gemma glowered at her and the blonde backed down.

"Teacher at the high school and one of my customers," Gemma said. "Ana, you mind helping out here, or do you have anywhere else to be?"

Ana shook her head with a grin. She would rather be here than out roaming among a bunch of strange people she didn't know.

"I'll help here," she told Gemma, who tossed her an apron.

The brunette-Tara-caught it and handed it to Ana. "Tara Knowles. I'm a doctor at St. Thomas."

"Nice to meet you," Ana said, shaking it.

"This loudmouth is Luanne Delaney," Gemma said, grinning as Luanne shook Ana's hand. "Best porn director in Cali."

Ana raised an eyebrow, amused. Unlike a lot of women, she had no qualms against what people did to make a living, as long as it was legal.

"Girl's got to make a living, right?" she asked.

The women laughed.

"I like her," Luanne said. They spent some time asking Ana questions about her past. How Seattle and LA were. Why she decided to come to a town like Charming. Ana answered as honestly as she could, but of course left some parts out. She didn't want her troubles affecting them.

Gemma spotted someone across the way and swore.

"Dammit. Ana, hang out here for a minute. I have to talk to my son," she said, walking away without waiting for an answer.

"No problem," Ana said, shrugging. As she began serving bowls of chili to the hungry patrons, she noticed Tara glancing at a booth across the way with fear in her eyes.

"Tara? Something up?" she asked.

Tara shrugged and shook her head.

"No," she said.

Ana looked at where she had been glancing and saw an older man staring at Tara with those same eyes Casey had once given her. The possessive. longing, dangerous eyes. He caught Ana staring, and looked away for a moment before turning his gaze back on Tara.

"Is it something to do with that idiot over there?" she asked.

"I-I don't know-"

The look in Tara's eyes told Ana everything she needed to know. She looked back at the creeper and took a deep breath.

"HEY IDIOT! IF YOU DON'T PLAN ON GETTING CHILI I SUGGEST YOU GET BACK TO YOUR BUSINESS AND STOP STARING SO HARD!" Ana shouted, drawing attention to both her booth and the creep across the way, who turned as fast as his skin turned red.

Luanne stared at Ana, wide eyed.

"Whoa," she said.

"What? He was making me uncomfortable," Ana said, sneaking a glance at Tara, who looked at her in grateful awe.

"Thank you," she whispered where only Ana could hear.

"Don't mention it."

* * *

><p>"Shouted him down, and nearly shouted us deaf..."<p>

"Well, what do you expect from the MC booth? Kittens and knitting?"

Gemma groaned as news about what happened between Ana and some loser reached her ears. She left Jax and rushed back to her booth.

"What's the problem?" she asked the girls as she reached the booth that people were now either avoiding completely, or watching to see what would happen next.

"No problem here," Tara said. "There was a creep but Ana drove him off."

Ana continued to put chili in bowls as Tara said this, unaffected by the gossip.

"That what happened Luanne?" Gemma asked, her eyes on Ana's back.

"Yeah," Luanne said. "Nothing happened."

"Okay," Gemma said reluctantly, still not believing that was what really happened. "Good call, Ana."

"It was common sense. If he wasn't getting chili, he had no business here," Ana replied, handing Kyle Hobart's girlfriend a bowl.

Gemma couldn't help but admire the girl's nerve. She hoped Ana would be sticking around.

* * *

><p>Juice had a problem.<p>

A sweetbutt from Indian Hills had hitched a ride with him, and was supposed to get out at Bakersfield. But now she insisted on going to Charming.

He couldn't exactly kick her to the curb, but she had banged Clay while they were there, and one thing the sweetbutts didn't do was parade in front of the Old Lady of the man they screwed.

"You got an Old Lady, Juice?" Cherry asked.

"Nope," he said, intent on the road. "But I'm not fucking you, either."

Cherry scoffed.

"Wasn't asking. I got my mind on one man only."

"Clay?" Juice asked, completely disinterested no matter who she had her eye on.

"No. Fuck no. Kip."

"Kip?" Juice asked, racking his brain and coming up with nothing.

"Half Sack?"

Juice chuckled. "His name is Kip?"

"Yeah, so? I bet your real name sucks, too. What is it?" Cherry asked defensively.

Juice laughed.

"That's for me to know and for you to never find out," he said. No way was he telling this Indian Hills sweetbutt his real name. Not many people knew that information.

Cherry was silent for a while.

"Why don't you have an Old Lady?" she finally asked.

Juice shrugged.

"Why are you so focused on that?" he asked. getting a little irritated.

"Because, man. You're not exactly bad looking, and you're sweet as sweet can be. Any other guy from the club would have left me to rot but you didn't," Cherry said. She'd heard many of the crow eaters salivating over the possibility of being his, and they'd all complained when he didn't show any interest. "You could pick any of the crow eaters and they'd be your Old Lady in a minute."

Juice pondered that for a moment.

"I don't know. I mean, I could have any crow eater I wanted, but do I even want a crow eater? For real, why would I go that route, knowing that they would have had anyone who asked them first, you know? No offense, but when I have an Old Lady, it's got to be real, and not just some poor girl with daddy issues settling."

Cherry nodded. She didn't know why the guys thought he was simple. Get the guy talking, and he could let out some deep shit.

"You have a point. What's your idea of an Old Lady?" she asked.

"Why these deep personal questions?" Juice asked back, annoyed and tired.

"Because I'm bored and no one really knows shit about you. And I'm not going to be around that much, if Clay wants me gone, so who better to tell this shit to?" Cherry asked.

Juice groaned. She had a point, so he began to think.

"Smart," he said with a smile. "She has to be smart. Tough enough to handle the life. I want a cross between Gemma and Tara," Juice said. "But with her own flavor, of course. I want her to love the man behind Juice, as well as Juice. I don't want her to be a crow eater, or a sweet butt. I want her to be someone who..."

"Isn't there to raise in ranks or get somewhere in the club?"

"Exactly."

They rode the rest of the way in silence, and for some reason, when he described all of that to Cherry, someone's face popped in his mind. Someone who he knew was too good for him, and wouldn't even want to be near this life.

But Ana Lewis would indeed be a good Old Lady.


	5. Chapter 5

A couple of days later had Ana at the supermarket, picking up items for a dinner she was throwing in her classroom, showing how things were done during the Civil War. The kids actually thought they had pizza and hot dogs back then.

Her coworkers had heard about her outburst at the Taste of Charming, and most of them, under the guise of being concerned, chastised her for helping the Sons. She took their criticism in stride, but made it clear that her job and her personal life were separate beings, and that what she did in her personal life was her business. As a result, she was mostly avoided at teacher functions. Ana couldn't believe how prejudiced they were, and was starting to wonder if the whole town was the same way.

"Will that be all for you?" the attendant asked as she checked out.

Ana nodded, handing the lady her money. The attendant was slowly counting out the change when Ana saw Gemma Teller-Morrow of all people storm out of the store, looking beyond pissed off.

_Oh, that's not good_, Ana thought. "Hey, you think you could put a rush on the change?" she asked the cashier, watching Gemma storm toward some girl.  
>Scoffing, the cashier tossed her change at her. With a dirty look towards her, Ana took off after Gemma, but it was too late. She reached her just in time to see Gemma crack a skateboard across the girl's nose.<p>

"Holy shit, Gemma!" Ana said, grabbing the skateboard. Gemma looked at her indignantly at first, but as she looked at the girl's face, she broke down in tears. Ana felt horrible. She had the feeling that this wasn't some random skateboard drive-by.

"I don't even know who you are!" the girl cried as older ladies fussed over her.

Gemma sat on the curb, her body shaking with unshed sobs. Ana swore and sat next to her, and took her hand. She rubbed her back with her other hand, trying to comfort the older woman.

"I don't know what that was," Ana said lowly. "But I'm guessing it wasn't unprovoked?"

Gemma shook her head as the cops pulled up. One took Gemma away immeadiately as another started to put cuffs on Ana.

"Hold up, I didn't do anything!" Ana shouted, struggling against the officer.

"She didn't!" Gemma called back as a few of the other people agreed. After talking to a couple of witnesses, the officer reluctantly released her.

"You'd do well to avoid that crowd," he said gruffly as she rubbed her wrists.

Ana glared at him.

"You'd do well not to profile people based on who they hang out with," she shot back, grabbing her purse and storming away, still wondering what the fuck just happened.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, her phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, she saw it was a Seattle number. She let it ring. not even wanting to deal with that bastard right now.<p>

Samuel Lewis was the bane of Ana's existence. Her mother, Rosaline, died when she was three, and every day Samuel blamed Ana for it, even if it was ridiculous to do so. He'd tried to turn Ana into Rosaline, even though Ana learned the truth about her mother when she was thirteen. Samuel still refused to accept it, the vision of his wife still saintly in his mind, so he continued to berate and humiliate his only child from the time she was three to the time she was twenty two.

Ana knew Samuel was calling to find out where she was. He loved emotionally terrorizing her, especially after what happened to...him. She rubbed the ring around her neck and sighed.

"Just die already, old man," she said to the still ringing phone.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Juice was still catching shit for bringing Cherry.<p>

"Clay and Gemma are locked up, now!" Tig said, throwing a towel at him.

Juice shrugged.

"Not my fault Gemma went all woman scorned on her," he said, tightening something in the engine of the Lexus he was working on. "Stupid rich person car," he grumbled.

He actually did feel horrible about Gemma being locked up. He knew something like this would happen, which was why he didn't want Cherry to come. Half Sack was giving him death glares, no doubt assuming he also tapped her on the way back. He wanted to tell him no, but with the mood Sack was in, all that would earn him was a knock out. He already held the record for the most knock outs in the ring, he didn't need to add to it.

Clay was going to have his ass castrated when he got home, that much was true. He swore as he hit his hand with the wrench.

"Move, idiot," Tig said. "Before you fuck something else up today. Go finish wiring up the debit card thing in the office, you're good with that shit."

Juice tossed the tools down and stormed away. He really didn't like Tig some times. He was rude, treated girls like shit, and acted too damn fast. He'd tried to be friends with him, but thanks to the dog incident, that wasn't going to happen.

"Is my car done yet?" a snooty blonde asked him as he began to work on the electronic paying device.

"In a while. Change of mechanics," he said.

"Can't handle a Lexus?"

He glared at her, and she shut up.

"Sorry," she said meekly.

_Great, looks like I win the award for asshole of the day_, Juice thought sadly.

Chibs walked in after the girl had left, and sat down.

"Stop beating yourself up, boy. People fuck up, it happens."

Juice sighed, connecting a wire to the computer.

"Today is a day for epic fuck ups, it seems," he said.

"Nah. Just a bad day in general. Clay being picked up by the feds Hey, you know your wee lass almost got arrested with Gemma, don't you?" Chibs asked, lighting up a cigarette.

Juice looked up, interested.

"Ana? She's not mine, dude."

Chibs nodded, laughing inwardly at the look on the kid's face. He wore his heart on his face, and it was more than obvious how he felt toward the teacher.

"Yep. Police thought she and Gemma ganged up on Cherry. They let her go after it was clear she wasn't involved."

"Oh. Um, good for her, I guess," Juice said, going back to work on the machine. "At least today wasn't a complete waste."

"That's the way to look at it. Oh, by the way, Clay's back. Wants a word with you."

Juice winced, his worry returning full force.

"Shit."

* * *

><p><em><strong>This is a short chapter. Season one was the worst to outline for me, because everyone was still being developed. It's one of my least favorite seasons, but seasons 2 and 3 are by far my favorites.<strong>_

_**As I said on tumblr, this story is going to be split in two parts. This one will go through to the end of three, and seasons 4-6 (and a little of seven) are going into a second part. Seasons 4-7 aren't going to be Juice canon because the whole purpose is to let our Juicy boy have a happy ending. I can't wait to start into seasons 2-7 because that's when things get so interesting.**_

_**La Vik: Tried a bit more narrative in this, but it does still reads like a dialogue. I'll work on that for future chapters, I explained more about my issue with that in my pm to you. I promise I'll try to make the next one even better. **_

_**stormdec23: no problems chickadee, you're awesome for constantly reviewing. **_


	6. Chapter 6

Ana waved at Gemma as she pulled into the garage after class. Today was a test day, and she decided to grade the tests as her car got worked on. She'd checked the oil this morning and saw that she was due for a change.

Besides, she liked the garage. She and Gemma had become friends. After she learned that Clay, the president of the MC and Gemma's husband, had slept with Cherry/Rita, Ana felt sympathy towards Gemma, and knew she probably would have done the same thing if she'd been in Gemma's shoes.

Ana was actually hoping to see a mohawked cutie around, too. She didn't understand the boy, but Juice was definitely some much needed eye candy. Looking around, she didn't see him or his stupid head tats, and she quickly hid the disappointment as Gemma reached her.

"You're not due for a payment!" she said lightly, hugging Ana.

"I was doing a routine skateboard check," Ana teased, hitting Gemma upside the head lightly with the folder.

"What's that there?" Gemma asked, gesturing at the folder curiously.

"Oh, just some tests. Lets me see how much a few teenagers know about the Civil War and all that," Ana said.

"More than me, I expect. So, what you need, sweetheart?" Gemma asked, hoping to keep her attention off of what was going on in the clubhouse. The Irishman had passed out before the good doctor had arrived, and she was hoping he'd stay that way while outsiders were inside the compound.

"I need my oil changed," she explained as a cop car rolled in. "But I can wait if that's more important."

"No, they can get you set up. hey Sack! Roll the lady's car in!" Gemma said, walking over to the older cop without looking back.

Half Sack waved at her, shyly.

"Hey, Sack," she said. "Just an oil change, I'm going to be in the office grading tests."

"Alright, Ms. Lewis," he said.

Smiling, she took the tests and walked to the office, settling down to begin her work.

She'd only been on the third test when the office door opened.

"Wow, done already?" she asked, looking up. "Oh, holy shit."

Juice had been coming into the office to grab the hand sanitzer and some paper towels, but Ana's presence stopped him.

She must have just gotten off of work. She was in a black blouse and a red pencil skirt with tights and black boots, and Juice forgot what he was supposed to be doing for a minute.

Unfortunately, the way her eyes widened as she took in his appearance, he remembered very quickly. He also remembered that he was covered in Cameron Hayes's blood.

"Hey," he said lowly, grabbing what he needed. That was just what he needed, a girl he liked seeing him covered in a guy's blood. It's a good thing she didn't know his hand was up the guy's ass, or he was done for.

"So, am I just supposed to ignore the blood? Or am I going to be another bloody victim that knew too much?" Ana said, her pen still poised over a test and an eyebrow quirked.

"Um, I uh...one of the guys...they cut their hand pretty badly. Chibs is stitching them up," he lied lamely.

By the way Ana was looking at him, he knew that she knew he was full of shit.

"You know you could just say club business and leave it at that," Ana said. "Don't insult my intelligence by lying to me."

Juice looked back at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Fine. It's club business," he said flatly. "Are you done with the inquisition?"

Ana blanched a little as he walked away. She didn't know what button she had pushed for him to turn into...that, but what she really didn't understand was why she gave a damn.

* * *

><p>Juice cleaned himself up and tried to think about why what Ana said bugged him so much.<p>

_Don't insult my intelligence by lying to me._

Why the fuck was that bugging him? He wasn't even friends with her. Yet he felt guilty for lying to her. Maybe it was the fact that the lie was so obvious, and he'd been called on his shit by a chick immediately

Drying his hands with a towel and donning a new shirt, he walked back to the garage where Sack was having problems doing an oil change.

"Move," Juice said to him, getting under the car and adjusting the oil pan. He loosened the cap and let the old oil drain out.

As he was tightening the cap, he heard heels walking in.

"Gemma, now isn't the time, I've got too much-"

"It's not Gemma."

Juice rolled out to see Ana standing in the opening of the garage, a folder tucked under her arm, with a sympathetic smile on her lips.

"Sorry for ticking you off," she said.

"You didn't," he said, pushing himself up and grabbing a new quart of oil. "I was just embarrassed to be caught in a lie."

Ana leaned against the door frame and watched him finish with her car. He was actually really good looking. His face had a youthfulness that clashed with the atmosphere with the place, and she could see his biceps flex under his shirt as he finished whatever he was doing, and Ana already knew what the rest of his upper body looked like, thanks to the diaper incident.

She wondered why such a cute guy would be caught up in a lifestyle like this. He could easily have been a computer tech at Google or something, staying out of trouble with the law and in a lot of trouble with the girls.

Thinking of the lifestyle, she did have a few questions and she had the feeling after what just happened, Juice may be able to answer them.

"Hey, Juice?" she asked, remembering something Luanne had said at the taste of Charming. "What's a crow eater?"

Juice banged his head on her hood as he jumped.

"Uh...why do you ask?" he asked, rubbing his head. Talk about a random question, not to mention completely unexpected. How the fuck did she even know that term?

"One of the girls at the thing mentioned it, asked if I was one a couple weeks ago."

Juice couldn't help it. He laughed until he had to sit down. The picture of anyone asking if Ana Lewis, high school history teacher, was a crow eater was too much for him to take. The picture of Ana being a crow eater was impossible to conjure. She was too straight forward and way too damn perceptive to be one.

"A crow eater is a girl who hangs around the club, the main purpose being to make the guys happy. They all want to be a guy's Old Lady, it doesn't matter who," he said, after calming down and seeing her offended face. "I was laughing because you're the last person I'd expect to be one."

Ana smiled a little.

"You don't think I could hack it?" she asked.

"I know that you're too good to be one," he said. "You're too smart, for one."

"And Gemma and Tara aren't smart?" Ana asked.

_Oh, you're so digging a hole here, Ortiz,_ Juice said to himself.

"You actually remind me of them, and neither of them were crow eaters."

"I think that's a compliment?" Ana asked, and Juice nodded.

"Yeah. Total compliment," Juice replied, closing the hood. "You're all done here."

"Thanks," Ana said. "And thanks, for the compliment and explaining."

Juice took the money she gave him and watched her walk away, admiring how her ass filled out the skirt. The girl was smoking hot, and those looks with her brains made for a girl that Juice damn well wanted to get to know in better circumstances.

Gemma caught him staring as she walked from the clubhouse.

"She pay you?" she asked. Juice nodded.

"Yeah," he said, handing over the money.

Gemma took it with a smirk.

"You know you could ask her out. Worst she can say is no," she said.

Juice jumped again, this time banging his elbow and causing Gemma to laugh.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," he said, nursing his elbow.

"Oh please, Ortiz. You were practically salivating. Ask her out already."

"Nah, she's already seen me covered in blood, then called my shit when I tried to lie about it," Juice snorted.

"You idiot, what happened?" Gemma asked. "Did you tell her about Cammie?"

"No! Nothing! She asked what happened, I said one of the guys cut something. She said if it's club business just say so and she wouldn't pursue the subject...and she mentioned that lying just insulted her intelligence," he mumbled the last bit.

Gemma stared at him and then laughed.

"Oh my Christ, you actually like this girl," she said brightly. "Juice, that woman is Old Lady material. I suggest you start going after her if that's what you want. Because Half Sack, Tig, Happy? They don't exactly have Old Ladies and soon they're all going to start noticing her, too. Do you want one of them with her?"

"Definitely not Tig," he admitted. The other two were almost bearable but thinking of Ana being subjected to Tig's pervasion was enough to make anyone sick.

Gemma nudged his shoulder and smiled at him.

"Tell you what. I'll invite her to the homecoming party. You make your move there, okay?"

Juice nodded.

"Thanks, Gems."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Okay we're getting to the feelsy weelsy part, and soon we'll be headed into Season 2 territory! YAY! <em>**

**_Hoping that this flowed better to readers!_**

**_~Becca_**


	7. Chapter 7

"Knock knock," Ana heard from her classroom doorway a few days later. She looked up and saw Gemma standing there.

"Hey," she said, wondering what was up. Gemma didn't seem the type to make visits, so she knew this had to be important. "Everything okay?"

Gemma sat down in a desk and shifted about.

"Jesus Christ, I hated these things," she said, trying to get comfortable. "Everything's fine. My grandson, Abel, is coming home today."

Ana grinned, she couldn't help it. Babies were her weak point.

"That's wonderful!" she said. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Gemma said with a quick smile. "So I'm throwing a homecoming party tonight at Jax's," Gemma said. "I asked him if I could invite you, and he said he didn't mind."

Ana bit her lip. The thought was tempting. She'd definitely felt more at home around Gemma and the people at the garage, but she hadn't met many of the Sons except for Chibs, Juice, Jax, and Half Sack. But she did have class tomorrow, and she had to stay late to tutor kids who were failing.

"I don't know," she said. "It's a school night."

Gemma laughed loudly.

"I swear, sometimes you sound like the student and not the teacher. It'll be fun. The baby will be passed around, you can meet Donna, see Tara again...Juice will be there," Gemma said slyly, gauging Ana's reaction.

As expected, Ana blushed a little.

"Is he going to be covered in blood again?" she asked sarcastically, hoping Gemma didn't catch the color in her cheeks.

"If he is, I'll make sure it's his own," Gemma replied. "Chibs has been asking how the 'teacher girl' is, and I know he'd like to see you again, too."

Ana smiled. She did adore Chibs, the creepiness of his scars long forgotten in her mind.

"I guess I'll make an appearance," she said as her phone rang. Looking at it, she noticed the Seattle area code again. She hit the silent button and put her phone back in her purse.

"I hope that's not important," Gemma asked curiously as Ana grabbed her tote and lesson plans. She noticed the change in her demeanor instantly.

"It's just a man who refuses to leave me alone," Ana replied darkly. "I'll be fine. Just text me the address to Jax's house and I'll find it."

* * *

><p>Gemma saw that Juice was still in the clubhouse on his computer as she locked up the shop. She headed over and tapped on the window.<p>

"Yes, Gemma?" he asked exasperated. Taking a quick glance, Gemma saw that he was looking up files on someone.

"Who you researching?" she asked. "And why aren't you going to my grandson's homecoming?"

He groaned and closed out of the browser. He was doing some research on more club shit, hoodies and buckles and stuff. Christmas was coming up and his weed shop was doing good, so he was wanting to get the guys something good this year.

"No one important," he said, instead of telling Gemma the truth. She was good at having secrets, but no good at keeping them. "Besides, I am headed there in a few minutes," Juice replied. "Did you need something?"

Gemma nodded, thinking of the phone call that Ana received, and her total change of attitude afterward.

"You told Clay Ana went to jail for assault on her father?" she asked.

Juice nodded, confused.

"Yeah, just the one time. Why are you asking me this?"

Gemma shrugged.

"I kind of need you to get me some information on him, on both her parents if you can. She got a phone call today and ignored it. I think he's trying to reach her, and I don't think she's wanting a family reunion."

Juice shook his head. He didn't like going into someone's past without a valid reason, but he knew that Clay and Jax would have his head on a platter if he told Gemma no. Besides, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't interested in why Ana assaulted her father to begin with.

"Why am I doing this?" he asked, beginning to open everything up again. Gemma scoffed in protest.

"Hey, not now. Later, it's not urgent. I may not need you to do anything. Besides, she's coming tonight and I just may get the information from her then," she said, knowing that would get his little Puerto Rican ass into gear.

She was not disappointed.

Juice jumped up and stashed his laptop away.

"I'll be there soon, Gemma," Juice promised, already changing clothes. Gemma just laughed.

"Don't hurt yourself, Juice," she called as she walked toward her car.

* * *

><p>Ana pulled up behind a rugged looking truck, and looked at the address.<p>

Yep, she was at the right house. The motorcycles alone should have given it away, but she knew there was more than one MC in town. It would be embarassing to walk into a Mayan party, especially with the tensions between the clubs being what they were.

Ana got out, and grabbed the gift she had decided to bring with her. It was a quick painting she'd done the night before of a morocycle with a baby blue backdrop. Ana adjusted it under her arm as she walked up to the door. She could tell the party was already in full swing, and she felt a little nervous.

Ana took a deep breath and knocked on the door softly. As it opened, she gulped and looked up at the tall Hispanic man who answered it, glowering. She didn't know his name, but she was starting to wonder if she HADN'T accidentally run into a Mayan party after all.

"Who are you?" he asked in a gruff tone.

"The housekeeper," she deadpanned, trying not to let her nervousness show. "I'm Ana Lewis, jackass, Gemma invited me."

The guy looked thrown off for a minute. He apparently wasn't used to being talked to that way by anyone. Before he could say anything, Ana heard a familiar voice.

"Happy, let the girl through," Gemma's voice sounded from the living room.

Oh. This was the not really happy Happy. At least she got the address right.

"Do I even want to know how you got that name?" she asked as he let her in.

"Your mama gave it to me," he shot back.

"My mama's dead."

"So?"

"Enough, you two," Gemma said, hugging Ana. She looked back at Happy, who gave her a wink, to show that he was actually joking for once in his life. "You two can have a war of the words some other time. Come on doll, let's introduce you to the rest of the people here."

Gemma took her time introducing Ana to the rest of SAMCRO. Soon Ana had met Gemma's husband, Clay, Tig (who had the scariest eyes she'd ever seen, and she was sure to try to avoid), Piney, and Opie. Juice was sitting with Opie and his kids playing a game, and had shot her a sweet smile as she was ushered on to someone else. Ana still felt tingles in her stomach from it as Gemma introduced her to Abel's biological mother, Wendy, and Opie's wife Donna, who Gemma then left Ana with as Jax and Tara came in, holding baby Abel.

"He's so cute!" Donna cooed as Jax and Abel came their way.

Ana had to agree. Abel was a sweet looking baby, and she smiled at his sleeping face.

"Hey, sweet boy," she said softly, rubbing his head lightly. "I don't think anything bad is going to happen to you, with all these people here to protect you."

Abel sneezed himself awake at that and Jax and Ana laughed.

"Thanks for coming, darlin," Jax said, grinning at Ana. "Means a lot."

"It's no problem," Ana replied as Jax went to show his son off to someone else. Ana sighed and turned back to Donna, who looked as uncomfortable as she felt.

"You got kids?" Donna asked Ana as they sat at the table.

"Nah. I teach teenagers. Best birth control in the world," she said, grabbing a soda.

Donna laughed and looked over at her kids, who were playing Monopoly with Opie and Juice.

"Oh, that's the time I'll be dreading the most," she said. "Talk about Hormone City."

"At least you'll have to deal with two at most. Me, I have to deal with the same age group, at least 60 in one day, every day, for nine crazy months."

"At least they go home?" Donna asked, playfully.

Ana tipped her glass in Donna's direction.

"At least they go home," she said as they clicked drinks and laughed.

* * *

><p>A loud burst of laughter from the kitchen had Opie and Juice look that way.<p>

Ana and Donna were laughing about something, and they continued to chat, oblivious to others around them.

"Well that's new," Opie said, amazed at how good of a time his wife was having. That girl, Ana, was looking at pictures that Donna was showing her. "Who is that, anyway?"

"Gemma's new project, it seems," Juice said as Opie landed on a chance card.

"You go to jail again, dad!" Kenny said, putting Opie's shoe piece in the appropriate square.

"At least I get to buy myself out of this one, huh?" Opie asked jokingly. Juice snorted as Opie laid a fifty down. "Put me on Just Visiting, Kenny? What do you mean new project?"

Juice rolled the dice next, and passed go. He bought himself some hotels, earning groans from the kids.

"Hey, you get the kid discount, you only pay me half of what the adults pay," Juice said to them. He then turned back to Opie. "You know, new girl in town and all that. Gemma wanting to make her feel at home."

"New girl feeling at home with SAMCRO. Sounds to me Gemma wants her to be someone's Old Lady. Tig, maybe?" Opie asked.

"No," Juice said automatically as the man in question made his way to Ana. He knew then that either he had to make his move or spend the rest of the night not trying to kill Tig. "Hey guys, damndest thing, I'm bankrupt. Kick your dad's ass?" he said to the kids, splitting his money between them and getting up. Opie chuckled.

"Answered my question fast, Juice," he said.

"Shut up," Juice replied.

He reached the kitchen just as Tig had began to talk to Ana.

"Hey, Juice," she said lightly, edging her way away from Tig. "Gemma told me you'd be here."

"Why do the Ricans get the hot chicks?" Tig grumbled. Juice shot him a glare, and he thankfully took the hint and backed off.

"Yeah, I was just kicking ass at Monopoly," Juice said, turning back to Ana taking in her outfit. Normally he saw her in the teacher clothes, but tonight she wore a cream colored knit sweater over blue skinny jeans and black ballet flats. "You look great. Normally you're in those professional looking outfits."

"Um, thanks," Ana said. "First time I've seen you in that, though."

She was pointing to his kutte, which he looked at proudly.

"Yeah," he said. "I'm still a relatively new member. Got fully patched a few years ago."

They both sat at the table as Tig went to talk to Clay. Donna excused herself to go sit with Opie and her kids

"So, Ana, can I ask something personal?" Juice asked. "Since I did tell you what crow eaters were?"

Ana shrugged, smiling at the memory of him banging his head when she had asked him.

"Sure."

"Why did you move to Charming? You seem like a city mouse moving to the country."

Ana grinned.

"I love that book," she said. "But really, I got tired of the hustle and bustle of Seattle and LA, and I decided that a change of pace was what I needed. Charming High needed a teacher, and I carpe diem'd my way out here."

Juice nodded as he sipped his drink. He looked over to where Gemma was sitting with Abel and watching the pair of them like hawks. He stuck his tongue out at her and she winked back, egging him on.

"Juan Carlos," he finally said.

"Huh?" Ana asked, confused.

Juice smiled at her obvious cluelessness. Gemma was wanting him to get to know her, so where else should he start?

"My name isn't Juice," he said.

Ana rolled her eyes.

"Well, I was hoping it wasn't. That's a terrible name to give a kid."

Juice laughed at her sarcasm.

"My real name is Juan Carlos Ortiz. Now consider yourself lucky, because not many people know that."

Ana pondered his name for a moment, but before she could speak, there was a commotion coming from the living room. She looked around Clay to see Tara storming out.

"I'll be back," Juice said as Jax waved him over. They had a short discussion, and, with an apologetic look her way, he took off after Tara.

Not long after that, Donna and Opie said their farewells to everyone, too. Donna gave Ana her number, so they could set up a lunch sometime that week. Ana was grateful; she loved Gemma to death but she was glad to make a friend around her own age for once.

After socializing a bit more with Chibs and Happy, Ana decided to take off, too. She ran into Juice on the way out.

"You leaving?" he asked.

"Yeah, tomorrow's going to be a long day," Ana replied.

"I'll see you around?" Juice asked as she headed to her car.

Ana looked back and shot him a smile.

"We'll see, Juan Carlos."


	8. Chapter 8

Donna was dead.

Ana was sitting at her desk after class in disbelief. She'd ended up moving the tutoring session to the following week after she heard the news.

What was with this place? An innocent woman was gone and two kids no longer had a mother. And now, once again, everyone was talking shit about the Sons again.

Never mind that the woman killed was a member's wife. Every time something bad happened, the Sons were the scapegoat, and Ana was sick of it.

Donna had just been at the party, laughing and cutting up with her over drinks. They were going to do lunch. And now Donna was dead, with an entire clip of bullets embedded in her skull.

Ana put her head in her arms and sobbed. This was why she didn't like making friends. Terrible things happened and the people left behind were the ones who had to suffer.

Her phone rang as she got her emotions in check. She looked at the caller ID and saw it was the garage.

"Yeah?" she asked sadly, grabbing her things. She hoped this wasn't more bad news, because with her state of mind, one more bad thing would have her packing and running once again.

"Hey, Ana," Juice said. "I take it you heard?"

She sighed with relief. If it was Juice calling, then the liklihood of bad news went way down. He didn't seem like the type to deliver emotional blows, mainly because even in the life he was in, the boy was like a fucking sun. Even when he wasn't happy go lucky, he still seemed to exude a childlike aura that drew people in.

"Yeah, I heard as soon as I got to the school this morning," she replied. "How's everything? Does anyone need help or anything?"

She could hear Juice shifting something in the background.

"I don't know. Shit, I don't know anything anymore. How are you doing?"

Ana laughed without humor. She had a feeling that he wasn't just asking to be asking. Somehow, she knew he genuinely cared about her well being.

"You guys just lost one of the member's wives and you're asking me how I'm doing?" she asked.

"Ope says that you and Donna hit it off."

"Yeah, well look how that ended."

There was a long pause. Ana hated herself for being short with Juice, but that's how she dealt with things like this. But she knew whatever pain she felt, he had to have been feeling more. He knew Donna longer than she did, and she felt horrible for all of SAMCRO.

"I'll be okay, Juan." She heard him take an intake of breath when she used his real name, and couldn't help but smile. "Look, just tell Gemma I'll come by the garage later, to see what I can do. And tell her that I'm really sorry," she said.

"Yeah, thanks," Juice said hoarsely. "Yeah, well, the reason I'm calling wasn't about Donna, and this is probably the worst possible time, but-"

"Juan Carlos Ortiz, you better not be asking me out on a date," Ana said. Deep down she didn't mind him doing this, but he was right, this was the worst possible time, no matter how cute the guy was.

"I'm not a dating guy right now," Juice said, laughing a little. "I was wanting to get to know you better. The only person that I know you're close to is Gemma, and I know that you wouldn't mind people your own age as friends."

"You're twenty six?" she asked, kiddingly.

He paused.

"Thirty, actually, but whatever."

This muscular man child was thirty? Ana had a hard time believing that, and made a mental note to check out his driver's license the next time she saw him.

"You there?" Juice asked.

"Yeah," Ana replied.

"Like I was saying, I'm closer in age to you than Gemma. And I promise to make inapproprate comments but will keep my hands to myself. I may stare at your ass and rack a little bit too much, though, but I won't be obvious about it," he said lightly, earning a small laugh from Ana.

Ana thought about it. She could be friends with Juice. He was definitely good for a laugh, even if it was at his own expense. She could use laughter in her life, and it's been too long since she had a real friend. Gemma counted, of course, but then again, but she was old enough to be her mother.

"Yeah, I guess I could use a friend," Ana conceded. "Even a bad ass biker from Nowheresville, USA."

"Everyone could. No one should have well, no one," Juice said, ignoring her joke. "I was at my lowest before I found the club, and I don't want to think that you're the same way I was."

"I'm touched, Ortiz," Ana said, actually meaning it. "Really. It means a lot."

Juice chuckled.

"Well, now that I'm chicked out for the day, I'm going to go do something manly, like punch a wall or something," he said.

Ana laughed a little.

"Don't worry Juice. I'll make sure no one knows you actually went against the man code and showed care for someone other than yourself."

* * *

><p>The day of the funeral dawned sunny and bright. Ana scoffed at the sight. Funerals were meant to be dreary and gloomy. Sunny funerals always felt like the world was taunting the mourners, or at the very least giving them a giant fuck off.<p>

Great, I'm pissed at the fucking sun, Ana thought as she curled her hair in front of her mirror. She looked at the black dress on the bed and sighed.

She wasn't sure she should even attend this, but even if it was for a couple of hours, Donna had been a real friend. Plus, she felt as if she owed it to Gemma to be there. She knew emotions were going to be high today, so if there was anything she could do to help, then Ana would gladly do it. Like it or not, she'd become a part of this family somehow, and she was ready to pull her weight.

She slid the dress over her head and stepped into her heels. Pulling her curled hair up into a ponytail, she grabbed her keys and headed to the cemetery.

* * *

><p>"Juicy," Chibs mumbled, nodding behind him. Juice turned to where Chibs was looking and a reluctant grin spread across his face.<p>

Ana had arrived, and was hugging Gemma. Whatever was said between them had Ana wiping her eyes with a smile, and then Ana caught his eye and headed over.

He had to admit she looked good. Everyone was in black, but she stood out to him. She looked even younger today with her hair up like that. He had to stop a laugh when her heels kept sinking in the soft ground, to her very obvious frustration.

"Having problems?" Juice asked, amused.

"Fuck off, Juice," she said,playfuly, taking the heels off and going barefoot. She noted their scandalized looks. "Don't judge me, I'm pretty sure she wouldn't mind."

Chibs hugged Ana, which she returned gratefully. "That's why the Good Lord made flats, lass," he said, gesturing to her shoes.

"Oh well," she said. "I'll put them on when I'm sitting down." She sighed in relief as she wiggled her feet in the cold grass. She gave Juice a funny look and gestured down to his hands. "Juice, you carry a spare with you all the time or something?"

Juice looked down at Jax's kutte in his hand.

"It's Jax's, he's running late, asked me to grab it," he explained. He looked around at all the people flooding in, from three charters no less. "You should go take a seat, before all the crow eaters get them and you're stuck standing."

"Alright," she said, surprising him with a quick hug before she left. Chibs chuckled as Juice watched her walk away with a bemused expression on his face.

"You two are getting cozy." he said.

"We're friends, Chibby," Juice said, getting in line as Gemma handed them blue carnations to put on the casket. "I like her, but she's not like Luanne or any of them. She's actually got purpose, and isn't focused on which MC member she can hook.

"Ah," Chibs said as they began the procession. "You actually have to work for her."

"Yeah," Juice replied, kissing the carnation before tossing it on Donna's casket. "Something like that."

* * *

><p>Ana was pretending to listen to the preacher, when her mind was really on an entirely different funeral, one that occured almost three years ago. That funeral had happened on a sunny day, too.<p>

Gavin Cocoran was, she thought, the love of her life. She met him at PSC, and they dated for three years before he popped the question. She said yes, and, together, they moved to LA so she could get her masters degree.

She never expected to wake up to a knock on their door at 4:00AM a year later, to a police officer who had to tell her that her fiance was killed in an accident. And she really didn't expect to hear him say that his wife was already notified. Apparently, he'd been married the entire time they'd had a relationship.

Ana had unknowingly been Gavin's mistress for five years. And if that wasn't bad enough, her father found out, and made her life hell.

Ana had been so unbelievably angry. At the drunk driver who caused Gavin's death. At her father for always rubbing her "adulterous" behaviour in her face. At Gavin for making her his homewrecker. And at herself, for still loving him despite it all.

Ana wiped a tear from her eye as she saw Opie in front, just staring ahead. It looked like the poor guy had checked out. Before she could focus on someone else, she saw movement from behind the preacher. Jax was striding through the cemetery, with a look of determination on his face. Ana noticed a few lacerations on his face as he drew neared. With interest, she watched Tara take Jax's kutte from Juice and place it on Jax's shoulders before kissing him.

Well, this is definitely the oddest funeral I've ever been to, Ana thought as Jax walked away again.

* * *

><p>Juice and Happy sat outside the clubhouse on top of the picnic tables. Happy didn't do people well, and Juice was tired of the mindless chatter.<p>

"That bitch from the other night-"

"Watch it, Hap," Juice warned lightly, playing on his phone.

"She with you?" Happy continued, ignoring Juice.

"No, but we're friends. And she's Gemma's friend, and I'm sure that you don't want Gemma hearing you call her a bitch," Juice said, still playing on his phone.

"True," Happy said, drinking his beer. "Gemma scares the shit out of me. Anyway, you mind if I try something with Ana? She is pretty cute, and I like a challenge."

Juice shot Happy a glare. A heated, anger filled glare.

"Does it look like I mind? he asked lowly. Happy chuckled, knowing that Juice had fallen for his bait, hook, line, and sinker.

"Easy, man. I won't, it's just cool getting on your nerves. You're really hot for her, aren't you?" he asked.

"I wouldn't say that much," Juice said. "There's something about her, that reminds me of me, but different."

Happy snorted.

"I'm not doing this Dr. Phil shit with you, dude," he said. "I love you and all that, but if it's that lovey dovey shit you want to discuss, you go to like Bobby or some shit. Come to me when you want advice on how to tap that ass."

Juice grinned. Of all of the SAMCRO members, he felt closest to Chibs and Happy. Chibs because he was like a surrogate father in a way, and Happy because they both sometimes felt like the odd man out. Happy got pissed at Juice as a prospect when he learned Juice didn't know Spanish, and said no self respecting Latino should be patched in if he didn't know his mother tongue. Happy took it upon himself to teach the prospect a little bit of the language, but conceded it as a bad job when it became obvious that Juice could read and write it but couldn't ever get the accent down well enough to speak it. Since then, the two were sent along with Clay or Tig to deal with the Mayans. Juice only went because Happy was a scary dude, and his "innocent look", according to Bobby, canceled that out, despite his lack of Spanish skills.

"I'll keep that in mind," Juice said as the lady in question exited the clubhouse, looking a bit shellshocked. "Oh, that's not a good look."

"Go see what's up with her. I'll let Clay and Jax know if you have to take off," Happy said, punching the smaller man in the shoulder.

Ana looked up from her phone as she heard footsteps nearing her. She couldn't believe the day she'd been waiting for was finally here.

"Everything okay, Ana?"

She looked at Juice without seeing him for a moment before coming to her senses.

"Um, yeah, everything's fine, actually," she said, stammering. "Just got a call I'd been waiting for for years."

Juice raised his eyebrow, unconvinced.

"You look ready to pass out, babes," he said. "Come on."

Ignoring the term of endearment for the time being, Ana let Juice take her arm and lead her to a picnic table across the way from the one Happy was still sitting on. "What's up?"

Ana shook her head.

"Just found out my dad died. He's had cancer for years now," she said.

"And that's...okay?" Juice asked, confused. "You've been waiting for this call for years?"

"You wouldn't understand," Ana said. "He was my father by DNA only. He used the role to make my life hell, and honestly his death has come a few years too late."

Juice nodded, beginning to piece together the reasons why she had a record of assault against the man who was her father. "Did he abuse you?"

"Not physically. No, he got into my head. Fucked with me emotionally. " Ana took a deep breath and looked at the man in front of her. He only had eyes for her, and his eyes were filled with so much compassion that Ana wanted to cry. She swallowed the lump in her throat and took a deep breath.

"See, my mom died when I was little," Ana began to explain. "She got in a fight with her lover, and my dad's never gotten over it, and never believed that she cheated on him. He tried to make me into this version of her that he still had in his mind, and he never wasted an opportunity to tell me just how much I failed at it," Ana explained, rubbing the ring around her neck. "'Your mother would be disappointed, Analis. She would kill herself if she wasn't already dead if she could see what a whore you are.'"

"Jesus Christ, Ana," Juice said. "Why'd he call you a whore?"

Ana laughed humorlessly.

"Want to know the real reason I left LA?"

* * *

><p>Juice was blown away by what Ana had told him. She'd been engaged to a man who'd been married to someone else, and she only found out about it when he died. Everyone saw her as the mistress, the homewrecker, and she'd left LA after she got her masters in disgrace.<p>

"So that's his ring, there?" he asked Ana, pointing at it.

"Yeah. Stupid me still loves the bastard, I still miss him sometimes. The news completely blindsided me," Ana said bitterly. "My dad ended up finding me in LA, and called me a slut, and that was the first and only time he acknowledged my mom's true reason of death, and told me that if the wife had any sense, she'd kill me so I could join 'that whore bitch in hell'. I ended up taking a lamp and crashing it over his head."

There was the assault charge. It had to have been.

"Did you get in trouble?" Juice asked carefully.

"Yeah. Got arrested, charged with simple assault. Paid the fine, and got the hell out of Dodge. Now the bastard is dead, and I feel free for once," Ana replied, wiping tears from her eyes.

Juice slowly put his hand on top of hers, and smiled slightly as her fingers wrapped around his.

"I'm really sorry, Ana," he said sincerely. He knew she had a back story, but he couldn't imagine that her only family treated her like shit, and a man she loved took advantage of her and betrayed her in the worst possible way. If those two bastards weren't dead already, he'd kill them himself for damaging the girl in front of him.

Ana shrugged and smiled at him.

"Hey, me running from LA brought me here. I'm not sorry at all."


	9. Chapter 9

Ana pulled off the exit that led to Lodi, bobbing her head to the music that blared in her car. She glared at her purse, or, more or less, what it contained.

Her father's service was uneventful. His girlfriend, her four bratty kids, his nurse and a couple of men from work were the only mourners. It wasn't until the reading of the will when things got interesting.

Apparently, her father had been sitting on a very private fortune. A fortune that should have been hers when she turned 18, according to her mother's will. He also had a life insurace policy worth three hundred thousand dollars, which was left to her and only her. She couldn't give it to the woman and her kids, according to his wishes. They got his house and car. No, this money was strictly hers.

Everyone there saw it as a gesture of kindness and goodwill, but they never knew what Ana went through growing up. No, the 300K was to remind her that he could still torture her after death.

So now she had two checks in her purse. One for 600K from her mother's family, and the other for 300K from her father.

Way to go, Dad, you can't even die without leaving me alone.

Her phone rang, and she put it on speaker and sat it on the passenger seat.

"Hello?" she asked, turning down the music.

"Hey, sweetie," Gemma's voice rang out. "You on the way home?"

"Yep," Ana said. "Going through Lodi now, should be there in an hour or two. Good news, I can pay off this car."

"You got a good payout then?" Gemma asked, amused.

"Don't play coy with me, Gemma Morrow, I know damn well you've done all but tapped Juice's phone, so you know I did."

Gemma chuckled again.

"I can't help that the boy doesn't shut up with his play by plays of the Ana Lewis Saga, but good. That bastard owes you for the hell he put you through."

"I'm not spending a fucking dime of the money he left me," Ana growled. "No, I'm using the money I should have gotten when I was eighteen to pay this off. I don't want to give him the satisfaction of using this tainted ass cash. Besides, my mother left me more than he did. I'm practically a fucking millonaire, Gem."

Gemma laughed.

"Maybe I can enlist your new found status when you get here," she said. "Bobby's getting out of jail later and we're having a huge party. I could use some help with food and booze."

"Consider it done. How's everyone there? Opie?"

"Ah. He's coming home later, too. Everyone's doing okay, but a certain Puerto Rican's been down in the dumps these last two weeks."

Ana grinned as she thought about Juice. He'd offered to come with her, but she assured him she'd be okay. This was just for her, to get closure. He'd been a great friend, always checking up on her, and he understood her wrath about the unexpected inheritance. He also applauded her throwing Gavin's ring into the sound before she started the trip home.

"Juice down in the dumps? Come on, Gem, you know that's not even remotely possible. The boy is always happy," she replied, seeing a sign that said "Charming: 45 miles".

"That's true. Well, Abel's crying so I have to go, but call me when you're home and we'll go get the stuff for tonight. Love ya," Gemma said.

"Love ya too," Ana said, hanging up.

* * *

><p>Juice saw Gemma's Caddy pull into the clubhouse and tossed his rag into the trash.<p>

"Hey, Gem," he said happily, helping her get Abel out of the car.

"You get one ounce of grease on that baby, I'll tear that mohawk off of your head," Gemma threatened. "Just got off the phone with Ana, she'll be home within the hour. She's in Lodi now."

Juice nodded but inside, he was happy as fuck. He missed the smartass teacher from Seattle, and couldn't wait to see her again. Every time he'd talked to her since she'd left, she sounded happier and more full of life than he'd ever heard her sound before.

"That's good," he said. "She tell you about her present?"

"Oh yeah, totally called me on already knowing" Gemma said. "Her father's a fucking bastard, may he rot in hell. So, you miss her, huh?"

Juice chuckled and rolled his eyes. "It ain't like that, Gem."

Gemma laughed out loud.

"Oh, whatever, Juicy. You practically get a hard on when she's around, you can't keep your eyes off of her, and every time she calls you get that stupid grin on your face, the same kind Jax got as a kid when I gave him candy. I'm a woman who knows shit, and you've had it bad for her from the moment you helped her pick out that Miata."

"Jeeze Gemma, why don't you just get a knife and finish cutting them off?" he said. "Anything you need me to do before I take off?"

"Nope. Just have your cute Rican ass at that party tonight," Gemma said, laughing at how red Juice's face was. All the joking aside, she was happy the boy had something to look forward to other than a new video game. He didn't have much of a life outside of the club, and that bothered her more than it should have.

Abel began crying, and Gemma smiled as she picked up her grandson.

"Oh, little one, the times they are a changing," she said, rocking him back and forth.

* * *

><p>Ana had already helped Gemma with the food, and returned home to get dressed. She donned a red flowing tank top over black jeans and her favorite black boots.<p>

She looked at herself in the mirror. She'd gotten her hair straightened and trimmed while in Seattle, and she actually liked how she looked for once. She grinned to herself and headed out to her car.

Soon, she was pulling into an already packed parking lot behind a car that looked like it belonged to the feds. Sure enough, as she parked, she heard a huge cheer as a man with black and gray curly hair get out. She realized it was the Elvis guy from the Taste of Charming. So this was Bobby.

Jax spotted her first as he hugged Bobby.

"Hey, look who else is home!" he said excitedly, walking over ot her and hugging her tightly. "Missed your face around here, darlin."

"Missed your ugly mug, too," she said, tapping him in the stomach as he let her go.

"Juice is around here somewhere. He and Happy had to go let off some steam," Jax explained, slinging his arm over her shoulders and leading her to the party.

"Everything okay?"

"Nothing to worry your pretty head about. Speaking of, your hair looks different," he said, wrinkling his nose. "You cut it?"

"Straightened it too, old man," Ana said. "Where's your mother at?"

"Right here," Gemma said. "You're late."

"I had to unpack," Ana said apologetically as Jax left. "What's up?"

"Ah, nothing. Just a bunch of Nazi pricks trying to put a scare into the club," Gemma said, shrugging. What Ana didn't know was how pissed off Juice and Happy were. They were the only non whites in the club, and Zobelle's words affected them a lot, even if they didn't let it show to the club. She knew for a fact they were both taking turns with a punching bag behind the garage right now.

"I take it it didn't work?" Ana asked, taking a Coke from Half Sack, who greeted her with a smile.

"Of course it didn't work. We may be white trash but we're not racist white trash. We do have standards," Gemma said lightly. She spotted a Mohawk entering the clubhouse then, and grinned. "Oh, and someone's dying to see you, by the way."

Ana eyed her curiously.

"JUICE! OVER HERE!" Gemma shouted, standing up.

Juice glanced over to where Gemma was sitting, and couldn't help the smile that lit up his face.

"Ana!" he said happily, running over and hugging her tightly.

"Can't...breathe!" Ana choked out, laughing. Juice pulled away from her, but sat down in the chair that Gemma had oh so conveniently vacated.

"So, how was your trip, girl? Your hair looks good," he said, taking a beer.

Ana and Juice had talked about her trip for a while. How she hated dealing with four kids that she wanted nothing to do with, how the lawyer couldn't believe she didn't want the three hundred thousand dollars that her father had left her. How it didn't stop raining once.

"Another reason I left Seattle," Ana said. "Because I needed to see the fucking sun for once."

"Amen to that," Juice said. He was definitely more drunk than buzzed at this point, but Ana had to give him credit, he could handle his alcohol.

"So, Juicy boy," Ana said, mocking Chibs's brogue and earning a laugh of Juice, "What brought you to Charming?"

"Oh, babes, trust me, you'd be here all night with that story," Juice said, slurring a little as a blonde girl sauntered over to him and sat in his lap.

"Isn't it my turn now, baby?" she purred.

"Chick, do you even know my name?" Juice asked, going from funny to pissed off in a minute.

"Um...some type of drink, right?" she asked, trailing her fingers down his kutte.

"Get the fuck off me, I'm talking to my friend here," he said, pushing her off his lap and turning his eye back to Ana, who was watching the scene unfold in humored awe. The girl glared at her.

"And who the fuck is she?"

"Hey, I'm Ana," Ana said, not getting up.

"Well, Ana, you're monopolizing my guy here," she said nastily. "He hit this a few days ago."

Ana snorted and shrugged.

"That's supposed to piss me off? My friend got laid by a sweetbutt, drinks on me everyone," she said, sarcastically. "He told you to get lost, now I'm fucking telling you the same thing. We were having a conversation here, and didn't invite you to be a part of it."

Without even waiting to see if she left, Ana turned back to Juice and her drink.

"You really-?"

"Nah. I don't do crow eaters unless I'm really desperate," Juice said, taking another drink.

"Easy there, killer, have some water instead," Ana said, taking the beer out of his hand. "You're going to have a wicked hangover anyway, don't need to add dehydration on top of that."

"Thanks, Ana," he said, drinking the water instead. "Anyway, before Deep Throat over there interrupted us, I said that the Story of Juan Carlos Ortiz would keep you here all night. Wanna take me up on that offer?"

Ana knew that Juice was content with being just friends, but she still knew a come on when she saw one, and although Juice had been the perfect gentleman, not even copping a feel, she wasn't about to repay that courtesy with sex. Besides, she had to get back to work in the morning.

"As tempting as that sounds, I'm going to have to decline and cut out of here. I'm already going to be worthless tomorrow," she said, kissing the top of his already drooping head affectionately. "Come by tomorrow evening if you can, we can watch bad action movies and destroy my father's memory."

"Sounds nice..." was all she heard before Juice hit the deck-er-bar.

"Moron," she said affectionately as she waved goodbye to Half Sack. She couldn't find Gemma anywhere so she slipped out of the party without attracting much attention and went home, not knowing that at this very moment, her first friend in Charming was going through one of the worst ordeals of her life.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Okay, yay, season two!<em>**

**_Originally I had her going to Los Angeles but Seattle sounded more fun, and more reasonable with her being gone two weeks._**

**_I really hate the timeline between seasons, no wonder practically everyone in Charming dies in a blaze of glory, everything happens so fast you either get caught up in the bullshit or die from an aneurysm trying to keep up with everything!_**

**_So much happened this season, but since Ana still isn't an Old Lady just yet she won't know most of it. We'll see how this plays out, I was going over my outline and changed some things up._**

**_Things do start heating up for Ana and Juice, but they don't really get there until much later in Season 2. _**

**_Thanks for reading, guys! Sexy Theo smiles to all of you!_**


	10. Chapter 10

Ana felt great being back in Charming. She could even ignore the catty ass gossip about her possible involvment with SAMCRO without getting angry. And talk they did, especially since Juice Ortiz had been hanging around more and more. They assumed that they were an item, and Ana didn't bother to correct them, no matter how wrong they were.

She immediately paid off the car. That nice little Miata was hers now. Of course this meant she had no valid reason to go to the garage regularly but she didn't care about that, either. She liked hanging around there. Ana liked seeing how they were with each other, like one large, loud, loving family.

Something else Ana did, that shocked Juice when she told him, was start the process to buy the house she'd been renting.

"You know that means putting down roots and shit, right?" he'd said the a week after the party. They were on the phone as Ana sat on the couch, going over the work she'd had to catch up on.

"I'm aware of that, JC. It's kind of my intention," Ana said, shaking her head at the substitute's letters. "These kids get a sub and all of a sudden it's like they lose all home training."

"I don't know about you, but I had a fucking blast with subs," Juice said lightly. "Gave them different names, told them we were studying something that we'd already covered...it was awesome."

Ana shook her head. Somehow she could see baby faced Juice playing innocent when he was really using that brilliant mind to play pranks on innocent people.

"You're incorrigible, dude," she said. "Ugh, I'm thinking about letting all this slide as extra credit and just grading the tests instead."

"You can do that?"

"Not really, but in a way, yes. If they did the work, they get a 100. If they didn't, they get a zero. The ones who took the time to do this have their grades go up, the lazies will go down."

Juice whistled. "And they say teaching is hard."

"It is," Ana said defensively. "I'm just too tired to do all this shit."

"It's because you're old."

"And you're not?" Ana shot back. "You have three, almost four years on me, Juan Carlos."

"I'm still a kid inside," he argued back,

Well, he had her there. The boy may have been thirty, but he's the only thirty year old she knew that would rather play Super Mario Brothers and eat Funions than to go out and pick up chicks.

"Meh," Ana said, tossing over the worksheets.

"Hey, you hear about Gemma?" Juice asked curiously.

"No, what's wrong?" Ana asked worriedly.

"Bad car accident happened the night of Bobby's party. She's okay, just banged up pretty bad. Caddy is toast, though," Juice said regretfully. "Can't even try to fix it again."

"Shit," Ana said.

"Gem's okay though. She's at home, you should probably drop by tomorrow to see her. She'll be happy that you're buying a house," Juice said. "What made that happen, anyway?"

Ana grinned.

"I don't know, Juicy. Just feels right."

* * *

><p>Ana knocked on Gemma's door the next day, and Clay answered. He looked aggravated but quickly smiled a little as he saw her.<p>

"Hey, Ana," he said affectionately. "Sorry we didn't get much time to talk the other night. How's the old man?"

"Just the way I like him. Dead," Ana said, making Clay laugh. "Gemma here?"

"Yeah, sweetheart, she's in there. Maybe you can lighten her up," he said. "I gotta get to the clubhouse."

Ana walked in as he left.

"Gemmmmmma? I have some news for you," she sing songed as she walked into the kitchen. She saw Gemma there, with butterfly bandages all over her face. "Aw, Gems."

"It's okay, sweetie. I'm fine," Gemma said hollowly.

"No, you're not," Ana replied back, sitting down. "You look like you got in a fight with a truck."

"Truck won," Gemma said, smirking a little. "What's this news you got for me?"

Ana observed Gemma carefully. Ana knew car accident injuries, and this wasn't a car accident. Gemma had been beaten pretty badly. She didn't think Clay did it. He'd been genuinely worried, not nervous or twitchy, so the car accident story Gemma fed him had to be for his and Jax's benefit. If she was saying it was a car accident for now, then Ana would play along.

"You know, one day I'm going to ask what really happened, Gemma," Ana said softly. "Not today, not tomorrow, but one day."

Gemma sniffed.

"Thank you," she said, squeezing Ana's hand. "So, news?"

Ana grinned.

"I'm buying that house I'm staying in," she said.

"Putting down some roots," Gemma replied. "Good for you sweetie. I take it you're feeling more at home?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ana said.

"That's good," Gemma said. "Look, I don't mean to run you off but I'm really tired and-"

Ana smiled but inside she knew wahtever happened, it was bad. Gemma didn't even chastise her for calling her ma'am.

"I know. I'll talk to you later," Ana said.

As she left, she looked back at Gemma, who hadn't moved. She knew something was up, but if she knew anything about Gemma, she knew that she wasn't one to be pushed. Ana just hoped that whatever it was that happened, Gemma wouldn't let it sit for long.

* * *

><p>A few more days went by. Ana decided it was time she brought in the Miata for a tune-up, to see how much of a toll the Seattle trip had been on her baby.<br>Gemma was in the office with Tara, discussing something when she knocked on the door. Gemma looked like she was feeling better, but there was still something a bit off about her. Ana didn't know who Gemma thought she was fooling but she wasn't one of them.

"Am I interrupting?" she asked, curiously. Gemma waved her in as she noticed Tara glaring out the window toward the clubhouse. "What's up with her?"

"Nothing, sweetheart. Jax is just out there with a bitch who doesn't know her place yet," Gemma explained. Ana walked to Tara and looked out the window as well and laughed when she saw who it was.

"Oh God, that's the same bitch that tried to start shit with me over Juice at Bobby's party," Ana said with a grin.

Tara looked over at Ana with an amused smirk. "You're with Juice now?" she asked.

"Ew, no, we're friends," Ana said quickly. Too quickly for Tara and Gemma, it seemed, when Ana saw them look at each other amused. "What?"

Gemma chuckled.

"Ana, Juice is nuts over you. Has been for some time. And you can try to hide it from me all you'd like, Miss Thing, I know that you're a little into him, too," she said as she sat down.

"I think you'd make a good couple," Tara said. "And you'd definitely be a kick ass Old Lady."

"Yeah, I'm a regular badass chick," Ana said sarcastically. "Okay, Juice is pretty sexy, and he's a great guy, but did he tell you what happened last time I fell for a sexy great guy?"

Gemma nodded.

"So your last guy got killed and you found out you were a mistress instead of the head bitch in charge. I'm guessing that's when your attitude changed toward everyone. Are you seriously telling me you think Juice, the boy who was eligible for damn MIT but can't remember not to put dish soap in the diswasher, is just like that asshole?"

Ana knew he wasn't, and she knew she was shit at hiding how she felt about him. She should have known Gemma would have picked up on that shit faster than a dog picks up a dropped steak.

"I know he's not. I just don't feel good enough for him," Ana finally admitted.

Tara and Gemma laughed out loud at that.

"Juice will definitely say otherwise-"

"What am I saying?"

Ana flushed red as Tara and Gemma laughed again at the sight of Juice in the office.

"Nothing, Juice. We're talking about the dishwasher thing," Gemma finally said, calming down.

"Oh," he said with an embarrassed grin at Ana. "Well, Miata's done, Ana babes."

"Can it, bitches," Ana said, as Tara and Gemma erupted in laughs again. Smiling, she shook her head at Juice's confused face as she took the keys from him. She noticed how his fingers brushed against hers and blushed yet again.

"You getting a fever, Ana?" Juice asked, concerned as they walked out to her car. "You look a little flushed-"

"I don't know," Ana said. "It's probably nothing, it was hot in the office."

She glanced over at Juice, who was still looking at her with concern. Ana knew she could be with him easily. It wouldn't even be a problem. She knew he would treat her right, and do everything in his power to make her happy.

But the club may end up being an issue in the future, and she didn't know much about him. Sure, she knew his real name, and that's something that some people in the club didn't even know. She didn't know what made him tick, or his family. She didn't even know if he was actually 100% single. The crow eaters were enough to make her want to keep her distance, except for the fact that he really didn't pay them much mind. Not when she was around, anyway.

"You need a ride home?" Juice asked. "You're being all spacey and weird."

"I'm fine, JC. Just going through some shit," Ana said, shutting down as she always did, much to Juice's disappointment. "I'll see you guys later."

* * *

><p>Juice collapsed on his bed in his dorm later that night. He couldn't get Ana out of his mind, especially that look she had in her eyes earlier. She had looked at him like she...wanted him. As much as he hated to compare Ana to the crow eaters, she looked at him like one today.<p>

It was no secret that he wanted her. He didn't want to just get in her pants, but he wanted her to be his long term. He was thirty years old, and, despite how the club treated him, he wasn't an idiot all the time. He wanted what Jax and Clay had. What Opie had with Donna before she died. He knew Chibs had an old lady somewhere too. He wanted all of that, and he didn't even know he wanted it until Ana came into his life.

He'd heard Tig talking about how he wanted to see how she was, but Juice knew that he couldn't let that happen. Tig was his brother, but he wasn't about to let Ana be subjected to whatever fetish of the week the guy had going on. When he talked about that to Happy, the Tacoma killer had, after snorting about Juice coming to him about that gay shit again, told him that if he didn't want Tig going after Ana, to do something about it.

"You like her. She looks like she digs you. Fuck and get it over with."

Happy wasn't a romantic, but he had a point.

Juice went to sleep, wondering how he could go about making the beautiful Ana Lewis his.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Yes, after this chapter is when all the good shit starts to happen, finally.<strong>_

_**It's going to be maybe later on today or Saturday when I update this. Tomorrow is Christmas shopping day.**_

_**So the convo with Ana and Gemma earlier was awkward. Mainly because Ana just isn't as close to Gemma as say Tara, and since Ana doesn't know what really happened, it's hard for her to talk to Gemma. **_

_**So some cool stuff for you guys. I saw another story on here where she did a character profile of her female protagonist, so I decided to do a bit of the same thing. Link is on the profile page. Also, I have a photo album where Ana's eventual crow is. That's also my profile picture. Links are on the profile, too. **_

_**You guys are awesome for following and reading, this story already has like 2,000 views which makes me feel awesome. Thank you all so much.**_

_**Peace and love,**_

_**Becca**_


	11. Chapter 11

The school year was over, and Ana was packing her items when the principal and a member of the school board walked in, their faces grim.

"Ms. Lewis," Mr. Williams said.

"Mr. Williams," she said, confused. "Is something wrong?"

The official cleared his throat.

"Yes, I'm afraid there is. There's been..ah...complaints at the school board about you being a teacher here," he said.

Mr. Williams shook his head when Ana looked at him in disbelief.

"I want it known that I fully disagree, and that I have received no complaints from the parents or students about Ms. Lewis's competency as a teacher," he said firmly.

"Neither have I," Ana said, confused. "No one has come to me, so why is the first time I'm hearing about this from the school board?"

"Be that as it may, David," the official said, completely ignoring Ana, "the complaints from your teachers and the parents that the board has received is a completely different matter."

"What complaints?" Ana asked. "One hundred percent of my students have passed, all the parents that I have talked to have not complained once, and- oh my Lord. This isn't about me,"Ana said, shaking with rage once she figured out what it was really about. "This is about SAMCRO?"

"No," the official said. "We had a complaint, the teachers fear for their safety. Their claims are justified in our eyes."

"Yeah, sure, how much did Jacob Hale pay you and the board for your votes, Mr. School Board man?" Ana shot back. "So what? I'm friends with people this town doesn't like but how's the crime rate inside of Charming when they're around? I moved here because Charming's been virtually crime free in five years. I can handle catty gossip about who I hang out with but never did I think it would cost me my job."

"If you can assu cre us that you'll be choosing your friends a bit more carefully," the official said, ignoring her rant completely, "then of course you would be more than welcome to come back next year. We can't ignore your excellent first year."

Ana scoffed.

"You realize this is discrimination, right? You can't hold a job over someone's head because of who their friends are," she said.

"I can when the safety of the school is in jeopardy," he said. "We need an answer today."

"Okay," Ana said. "You want an answer? You want me to choose between the closest thing I have to a family, and a school where people are judgmental assholes? Fine. Fuck you and your school board."

She took her box and strode out the door, ignoring both men calling after her.

"Way to go, jackass," Mr. Williams told the official. "Thanks to Jacob Hale, we just lost one of our best teachers."

* * *

><p>Ana pulled into the garage's parking lot, tires squealing. She slammed her car door shut and strode into the office, slamming that door as she ignored Half Sack asking what was going on.<p>

"They fucking fired me, Gemma," Ana said, sobbing in the older woman's arms as soon as she entered the office.

"Hey, calm down," Gemma said soothingly. "It's okay."

"No it's not," Ana replied. "That was my dream job. Now I'm going to have to crack into that stupid money the sperm donor left me."

Gemma laughed at Ana's reply.

"Girl, stop. You know that you still have plenty of your mom's money, too."

"They fired me because of the club" Ana said, talking more to herself than to Gemma. Regardless, Gemma still got pissed.

"What do you mean?" she asked evenly.

"The fucking teachers, Gem. I knew that they had been talking shit about me since Donna, but I didn't care. Apparently that substitute, Polly or someone, had a weird last name, she had spread even more rumors while I was in Seattle. So they complained to the school board about me. Said parents complained too, safety concerns or some shit" Ana said. "Told me that if I found a new group of friends, I'd be allowed to have my job back next year."

Gemma rolled her eyes.

"Fucking pricks," she said. "I take it you declined their offer?"

"With a side of go fuck yourself," Ana replied bitterly.

"Ana, do you really think we're worth your job? If it means that much to you-"

"You know what? They fired me over the club but it's their fault. I'm not working around a bunch of judgemental assholes," Ana replied angrily, but then her face fell. "God, he was fucking right."

Gemma was disturbed by the sudden change.

"Who was?" she asked Ana.

Ana looked up at Gemma, who was shocked to see legitimately sad tears in her eyes.

"My dad."

Gemma sighed and saw a tow truck pull in with a van hooked to it. "Why do these assholes always got to do this right before closing?" she said. "Go outside, we're still talking," she said to Ana.

Ana nodded and walked to a picnic table where she could be alone with her thoughts. She did a quick glance and saw Juice going through some tools. He looked up and saw her. He waved and looked at her questioningly. She shrugged and shook her head, looking at the ground as she walked to the table. She didn't want to bring him down with her bullshit right now.

Once there, she drew her knees up to her chest, the June evening unseasonably chilly. Ana thought about the day's events and sighed. She was now unemployed, kicked from the job she'd always wanted. She wiped away a few tears and hated herself for shedding them.

She hadn't felt this way since before her dad died. Now she felt just as worthless as she had when she lived with him. Even though he was dead, the memories of his scathing voice still rang in her mind.

* * *

><p>Gemma saw Juice and waved him over.<p>

"What's up with her?" he asked. "Sack said she was crying?"

"Yeah," Gemma said. "Girl lost her job. School board said she's a safety hazard."

Juice's eyes narrowed.

"Because of us."

"Jacob Hale has that council on his damn payroll," Gemma spat. "Even the principal didn't like the way she was let go. Now she's talking crazy shit, saying her dad was right or something."

"Fuck,"

Juice said. "You need me for anything?"

Gemma snorted and shot him a small grin.

"Gems, don't," he said. "She's really upset. Do you need me for anything?"

"Go," Gemma said, pleasantly surprised at his serious tone, and without a second glance, Juice headed to where Ana was. Gemma watched sadly. "At least some good could come out this shit," she whispered.

* * *

><p>Juice grabbed Ana a drink out of the cooler on the way over. He saw Chibs talking to her, and she shrugged and nodded as he walked away.<p>

"Lady's real upset, lad," Chibs said as he passed Juice. "Just staring at the ground, like it offended her mother or something. You know why?"

"Ask Gemma," Juice said. "I'm going to see about cheering her up."

"Yeah, you're good at that, Juicy. I'm going to get this van and then I'm headed home."

Juice nodded, his eyes still on Ana. He hated seeing her like that. Ana was normally sassy and confident, always had some smile on her face. Now she looked like a sad child as she sat on top of the picnic table.

"Hey," he said, sitting next to her her, and handing her the drink.

"Thanks," she said, still reeling from the fact that she'd lost her job.

"Listen," Juice said, putting his arm around her shoulder. He felt horrible for her, and he hated seeing her look so down. "Them firing you? Total bullshit. I'm sorry that happened, and I know it's the club's fault."

"No, Juice," Ana said flatly. "They fired me because of who my friends are. It's nobody's fault but theirs for being judgemental bitches."

"Wait, you don't blame us?" Juice asked, confused. "You were pissed earlier, talking to Gemma about them being the reason and I thought-"

Ana laughed, and Juice was grateful for see some life come to her face.

"Juan, don't be like that," she said reassuringly.

His stomach flipped, as it always did when she called him Juan and not Juice. "So who were you talking about?" he asked hestiantly.

"I was talking about the school board. You guys, you're the only thing I have that's close to a family. I'd say friends but it feels more than that around here," she said. "Why would I want to work around those assholes who treat my family like they're the scum of the fucking earth?"

Juice smiled as she leaned her head against his shoulder, and he stroked her arm lightly.

"What about us, Ana?" he said softly.

"What about us?"

"You and me," Juice said, nudging her up where he could look at her. "What does that feel like to you?"

Ana looked up in his eyes and shook her head.

"I don't know."

"I think you do," he said. "I think that you're feeling the same shit I'm feeling, and if you're not, then that's okay. And if you are and just don't want to say it, then that's okay too."

"Juice, I-"

Juice held up his hand.

"Let me finish, okay? I like you, Ana. And when I say like, I'm not talking about friends, and I don't mean I want to get in your pants, either. Although it'd be nice, I bet."

"Juan Carlos Ortiz!" Ana said, smacking his arm playfully.

"Sorry, sorry!" he said, laughing, but then he got serious again. "I want something more out of this, Ana, because ever since I met you, I've been wondering what it'd be like to have what Jax and Tara or Gemma and Clay has."

"There's so many girls here to try to have that with," Ana said, confused.

"And I told you a long ass time ago, I'm not interested to be someone those bitches are settling for. They'd hop on any member's dick if they had a chance to be their old lady. I want someone who wants me, who wants Juan Carlos and Juice, not one or the other."

"And you think that's me?" Ana said.

"I know it's you. There's no thinking about it. But I'm also a really patient guy," he said.

Ana's eyes drifted down to his mouth then back to his eyes.

"Are you?" she asked. "You know I got depression, right? Not 'oh I feel sad' depression. There are days I just want to stay in bed and not feel a fucking thing. Feeling hurts too much on those days. All I hear is my dad telling me I'm worthless. I hear the police officer telling me that Gavin's wife had already been notified, that he'd listed me as his fucking sister in his phone. I hear everyone calling me a homewrecking whore and all it does is drag me down."

Juice squeezed her hand. He knew exactly what it felt like to be that way. That was every day for him until he found the club, and even then, sometimes the bullshit just got him down.

"I don't care about all of that, Ana," he said. "I'm a little fucked up, too. But I'm going to tell you this now: you're not a whore, and you're not worthless, and if you need me to, I'll stay in the bed with you on those days, making sure you know none of that shit is true."

Ana knew he was telling the truth. She wanted to be with him so badly, and he'd given her plenty of reasons to do so, and no reasons to tell him no. Juice could be exactly what she was looking for. He wasn't married, he treated her nice, he was definitely easy on the eyes, and she knew that he would always look out for her.

What could it hurt? Why shouldn't she just give in to what she was feeling and see where it led?

She noticed Juice leaning toward her and she closed her eyes, waiting for his lips to touch hers. But before they did, Juice and Ana heard Chibs say "Oh shit!"

Juice looked up and saw Chibs running out of a van. Everything in Juice's mind clicked right before it exploded.

He didn't even think. Juice just wrapped his arms around Ana and quickly brought her to the ground, covering her body with his as the explosion rocked the air around them.

"CHIBS!" Ana heard Jax say.

"Shit!" Juice said. He looked down at Ana. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, her eyes wide with fear. He helped her up and they ran over to the crowd of people surrounding Chibs.

"Shit, Chibs!" Juice said again, his voice broken and full of pain. He ran his hands behind his head, distraught. Ana grabbed him by the arm, steadying herself against what she was seeing.

Chibs was laying on the ground, blood pooling from the back of his head. The explosion had thrown him and he landed on the back of his head on the concrete.

"Oh my God," she whispered, not being able to take her eyes off of the Scotsman who had just been trying to cheer her up not even ten minutes ago.

What the fuck just happened?

* * *

><p><strong><em>I know, that explosion was a real buzzkill. <em>**

**_I had Ana lose her job because of plot reasons, plus there's only so much bullshit someone can take before they snap. We get more Juice and club action next chapter, you know, before they get arrested. Anyone who's wishing that I would hurry up and get them together is going to have to wait quite a few more chapters. It's coming, and now it's just a matter of bad timing. They will be together by the end of Season 2, I promise. This story goes through to the end of Season 3, so there's plenty of time for their relationship to develop._**

**_I'm going to work on this some more today. I'm feeling like crap so I've got Christmas movies on the TV for the kid, and I'm just going to write. _**

**_You guys make me smile, for real! Thanks to new reviewers TheIrishShipperholic and Love Ink for the love, and to the new followers I've gotten. You guys are awesome. Pie for all (just not cherry)._**


	12. Chapter 12

Ana was starting to wonder if she just attracted bad luck everywhere she went. Ever since she arrived in Charming, there's been rape and death and now, apparently, bombs.

Who would want to hurt Chibs? Who in the world had something against the lovable Scot?

Then again, it probably wasn't just Chibs they wanted to hurt. They wanted to hurt the Sons, and so far, whoever it was, they were succeeding. She'd overheard Jax talking about some guy named Otto losing an eye in Stockton, and mentioned something about Zobelle.

Zobelle rang a bell in her mind, but she couldn't place it at the moment. All she was worried about was if Chibs was going to die.

"He's stable but critical," Ana heard Tara say. Gemma sighed in relief.

"Critical?" Ana asked, confused. "Why?"

"Well, there is a bleed on the brain, and we have to make sure it doesn't get worse."

"If it does?" Gemma asked.

"We'd have to go in, relieve the pressure," Tara replied, sitting next to Ana.

"Crack open his head? Jesus," Gemma said. "Thanks, Tara."

They sat in silence for a while. Ana couldn't believe that a man who she cared for so much was now laying up in the hospital with his brain bleeding. She really couldn't believe that there had been a fucking car bomb to begin with. This was Small Town, USA, not the Middle Fucking East.

"You and Juice looked pretty cozy before all this shit went down," Gemma finally said. "He help get your mind off things?"

"For a minute," Ana said, remembering the almost kiss. She still got shaky thinking about what would have happened had that bomb not gone off. "I don't know what to do here, Gem. I like him a lot, but what if this bomb was a sign or some shit?"

Gemma sighed and tapped her fingers nervously. Ana and Tara shared a look, and Ana knew that Tara was thinking the same thing, but about her and Jax.

"It wasn't, sweetheart. You like Juice, the boy adores you, but I'd understand if you wanted to take some time to think about this. I'm sure he would, too," she finally said. "Ah, speak of the devil."

* * *

><p>Juice rounded the corner to see Gemma, Tara, and Ana waiting in the hall.<p>

"Any news?" he asked as he reached them.

"He's stable, but critical," Gemma said. "Nothing much they can do now but keep an eye on him."

"Good," Juice said, quietly. He was closest to Chibs than he was to anyone in the club, and this whole thing was screwing him up inside. He looked over at Ana, who looked the same shell shocked way she did the day she found out her father died. Instead of relief on her face, though, there was dread. "Ana, you alright?"

Ana's head snapped up at his voice, and nodded automatically.

"Yeah, I think so. Just...still processing, I think," she said.

Juice knew it was fucked up to think about while Chibs was laid up, but he couldn't help thinking about the moment right before the explosion. He was going to kiss her, she was about to let him. He didn't know if it was some seize the day bullshit, or just an adrenaline rush, but he wanted to see what would happen if he tried kissing her again. He was sure Chibs wouldn't mind. Other than Gemma, Chibs was the most eager to get them together, and he sure couldn't disappoint the man now.

"Come walk with me," he said, reaching out his hand. Ana took it without question, knowing that Gemma would have her ass if she didn't.

Juice led her to the elevator and once the doors closed, he put his arm around her and pulled her to him.

"Juice I-"

"Don't," he said, right before he kissed her softly.

Her lips tasted better than he had imagined. He felt her freeze up for a moment before moaning softly and giving in. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he ran his hands down her back, smiling slightly as she shivered a little. He pressed his lips to hers again, a bit more eager this time, kissing her a little more passionately as her fingers stroked the back of his neck. His lips moved from her mouth to her neck and she whimpered as he hit a sensitive spot.

She felt his lips curl into a smile as he kissed the spot again before pulling away as the doors opened. He shot a cocky grin to a couple of doctors getting on as he took her hand and led her off the elevator and into the atrium.

"What was that?" she asked, sitting on a bench.

"It was a kiss, Ana," Juice said, sitting down next to her, still grinning like a guy who just got laid. Hell, if he had kept it up in the elevator, he would have done just that. "It's that thing two people who like each other do sometimes."

Ana rolled her eyes but grinned at him anyway. "It was good, but doesn't change that I need to think about a lot of things," she said.

Juice scoffed, pretending to be offended. It wasn't good. It was fucking amazing and if he had his way, there would be more of it going on. More kissing, more touching, more everything. Kissing her was like giving an alcoholic a sip of wine, some of the sweetest fucking wine he'd ever tasted.

"Good, huh?" he asked her. "Not the words I would use."

"Well, it was good for me," Ana said defensively.

Juice cracked up. "It was for me too, babe. It was more than that, it was awesome."

"I still-"

"Gotta think about things, I know, I get it," Juice said, leaning back and stroking her hair, that was starting to be more wavy and less straight. He realized she'd had to have been up a whole day without sleep when he noticed how light it was outside. They were both content with not talking for a while, so he let Ana nod off as he dealt with what was running through his mind.

He knew the bomb would be a huge setback for him and her, relationship wise, and he did owe her the thinking time. He wasn't about to be a dick and tell her to be all in or not at all. Not after what just happened in the elevator. He knew she could adjust, but it had to be on her own time.

He sighed and nudged her awake.

"Ana, you need to get home and get some sleep," he said.

"Don't you want to talk about us?" she asked drowsily.

"Like I said earlier, you do what you have to do, babes," he said, kissing her cheek. "But when you're ready, let me know. Because trust me, I'm all in, here. And I'll wait."

They sat in silence for a moment before Juice's phone rang.

"When I said I'll wait, I meant metaphorically," he said, looking at the phone. "Got to take care of club business. You stay safe, gorgeous," he said, dropping a kiss on top of her forehead. "I'll call you later."

Ana just sat back with a bemused expression on her face. This was definitely new coming from Juice, and she actually liked it. Sure, she loved when he treated her like a friend, but now he had a swagger about him, a confidence she hadn't seen before, and it was one hell of a turn on.

And that kiss. That kiss was hotter than anything she and Gavin or Casey had shared. He had her wanting to press the emergency stop when he found that spot on her neck, and thinking about it now made her want to take a cold shower.

Great kissing aside, there was still the matter of the club to think about. Would they accept her being with Juice? Did that put her as someone the club held in esteem? Would she be in danger once the news broke that she was with Juice? Would the club let her get hurt?

These were all questions she needed to ask him, when he called that night.

So she went home not long after he left, and decided to get some sleep while she waited for him to call as he promised her he would.

But he never did.

* * *

><p>Juice rode in the back of the van in between Happy and Tig. He had a bad feeling about this whole thing, but Clay wasn't in the talking mood. He knew this was less about revenge and more about one upping Jax, as it had seemed to always be about these days. The whole club saw it, but no one seemed to want to tell Clay that this was a bad idea. Juice had a feeling they were walking into a trap, but he knew that the club needed him, so he went with them.<p>

Now Juice was holding his gun between his legs as he was doing more research on the reason Ana was fired. He'd hacked into the district's email servers and was now reading emails between Jacob Hale, the superintendent, and Zobelle's daughter, Polly. It turned out that when Ana was in Seattle, Polly Zobelle was the substitute. After Ana got back was when the emails started, Polly saying she feared that Ana's close relationship to a SAMCRO member was putting the school in jeopardy and she felt it would be safer if Ana was no longer teaching.

Juice swore and slammed the computer shut.

"Fucking bitch!" he yelled.

"What?" Happy asked.

"Zobelle's daughter. She's the one who got Ana fired," Juice said angrily. "She was the substitute while Ana was in Seattle."

"Now they're fucking with someone outside of the club," Tig said darkly. "Ana and me don't get along much but the girl doesn't deserve that."

Juice seethed as they got closer to the church. "This is complete bullshit," he said to Happy. "I don't think we need to be doing this."

Happy clapped his shoulder.

"Chill out, man. I got your back."

"Jax and Ope's up ahead guys," Clay said. "Get ready to kick some ass."

* * *

><p><em><strong>So I tried to put more narrative in this one. Not much but as their romance heats up (and it will, trust me), there will be less dialogue and more other stuff. Sorry, it's nearly 3AM when I finished this. I'm rewatching everything and my mind is in overdrive.<strong>_

_**As always, cool points to the reviewers and followers. You are all buckets full of awesome sunshine**_


	13. Chapter 13

_Juice had Ana pinned against the wall, his mouth claiming hers hungrily as his hands felt her bare back under her shirt. He hoisted her up and wrapped her legs around his waist, and she could feel his dick pressing against his jeans. He grinded his hips into her and she let out a moan._

_"You like that, baby?" he mumbled in her ear._

_"Mhm," she said, sighing as he nibbled on her neck. He then moved his lips lower and-_

"Wha-" Ana asked, sitting straight up, being woken up unexpectedly.

It was just a dream. A hot, steamy dream that she wasn't ready to end, and now she was mad because something woke her up. She heard her landline ringing and automatically blamed whoever was on the other line. She groaned loudly, getting up and stomping over to the phone. She looked at the clock as she answered it and groaned again. Whoever was calling her at 2 AM was going to be getting a really rude awakening.

"Who the hell is this?" she asked grumpily. "And there better be a good reason for calling, or I will find you and I will kill you."

"Morning to you, too, Liam Neeson," Juice's voice said from the other line.

"Juice?" Ana asked, waking up. He said he'd call her later, but she was pretty sure that this wasn't a social call. Not at 2 AM, unless he was drunk, and he didn't sound like he was. "Is everything alright?"

"Not exactly. I'm in jail," Juice said. He had Happy behind him, and Jax was leaning on the wall behind Happy. Both of them were needing to call home, too, but they'd let him go first. They'd figured that if he was going to get shot down from Ana, he shouldn't have to go through that alone.

"Jail?" Ana said, collapsing in a chair and trying not to cry. This had to be about Chibs and the bomb. Gemma had mentioned they'd retaliate, and the retaliation must have backfired on them big time.

"Yep," Juice said flatly. "I'm okay though."

He wasn't okay. He was actually very pissed off, with Clay more than anyone. Jax had the right idea, to do this smart. He knew that the church was a trap, but Clay didn't want to hear it.

"Juan, what happened?" Ana asked, concerned.

Despite his foul mood, he still smiled when she said "Juan". Shit, he already missed her and he hadn't even been inside that long.

"Some shit went south, and it's pretty bad. But don't worry about me. I need you to listen to me real quick, okay?"

The information that Juice had found out prior to the church fiasco still rang in his head, and it added to the rage that was already building up. They hurt someone he cared about a lot, the first person outside the club he'd cared about in a long time, and they weren't going to get away with that.

"Okay," Ana said.

"I need you to be careful, okay? Polly Zobelle is the one who got you fired. So just stick close to Gemma and Tara until we settle it, please?"

"What do they have against me?" Ana asked. "I mean, Polly Zobelle told me my class was okay, and that she was impressed by the grades. What the hell was she doing getting me fired?

Juice sighed and looked at Happy, who nodded. Juice didn't want to tell her, but Happy told him that it would be best if she knew everything.

"They think you're involved with the club," he said. "She's Ethan Zobelle's daughter, and he is a part of this racist ass organization. They're the reason we're in here, and they know you're someone that we care about. They're targeting those that are closest to us to get a rise out of the members. These guys are smart."

Ana was seething on the other line. Polly Zobelle was a dead fucking bitch the next time Ana saw her. You don't mess with someone's job like that, and now her father had all of her friends locked up. She felt like crying, because not even 24 hours ago, she was making out with Juice and now he was calling her from a jail.

"Ana, you need to promise me you'll be careful, okay?" Juice was saying.

"Okay," Ana said finally. "I'll be careful, Juan, but you have to be careful, too."

She knew that the Sons weren't exactly popular among the other gangs that seemed to surround Charming. The Zobelles being the racist asses they were, it was likely that the Aryan Brotherhood was on their side, and that meant that the Sons were on a hitlist. Juice being Puerto Rican, he was probably a prime target and that scared the shit out of her.

"I will, Ana," he said. "I'll see you when I'm out, okay?"

"Alright."

Juice hung up and sighed before handing the phone over to Happy. He was led back to the cell he'd been sharing with the other two, and he enjoyed the temporary solitude for a moment. He could see Bobby, Tig, and Clay across the way talking, but he didn't pay them any mind. He got on his bunk and looked up at the bed above, cursing his bad luck.

He didn't know what was up between Jax and Clay, but whatever it was, it needed to quit. Now, because Clay was so determined for revenge, and had some stupid point to prove with Jax, they were all in jail, with no protection at that. All of them had a target on their backs, and it was open season.

Juice was pissed at Zobelle's crew, too. They'd cost his girl her job, one of his brothers an eye and nearly cost another one his life. He could get why Clay was wanting vengeance, but there was a better way to do it. There had to have been.

Happy came back in and saw Juice on his bunk.

"You okay man?" he asked, sitting on his own.

"Yeah, sure," Juice said flatly as Jax came back in and hopped on the top bunk. Juice really didn't feel like talking. The shit with Chibs, the arrest, the club's problems, they were all starting to wear him down. He was exhausted, and just wanted some sleep before he ended up losing his shit.

"Juice."

Apparently, Jax didn't give a shit about his sleeping status. Juice rolled his eyes before he answered, because he wasn't too happy with the vice president at the moment, either. He was tired, and pissed off, and his level of fucks to give was too low to have a serious conversation.

"Yeah, Jax?" he asked, depressed.

"I'm sorry you got pulled into this shit," Jax said. "Really. I know Clay isn't-"

"Dude," Juice snapped. "I'm not even trying to get in the middle of the Clay and Jax soap opera. That bullshit got us here."

Happy's eyes widened as Jax hopped down from his bunk, enraged. Juice got up, not scared of the vice president for once. He saw Clay, Tig, and Bobby watching them from the cell across the hall, and decided that he didn't fear them either. He wasn't the idiot that the rest of the club seemed to think he was, and it was time that they all knew it.

"You saying this is my fault, man?" Jax asked in a low, dangerous tone.

"No," Juice said, shaking his head as he stood up looking his Vice President in the eye. "It's not just yours. It's all of ours. Yours, Clay's, all of us. The beef between you and Clay brought this club to where it's at now. Clay went to the church blind against everyone's advice because he had a stupid point to prove to you. You working with Hale just to spite Clay is just as fucking bad, VP. And instead of calling you on it, most of us have been walking on eggshells around the two of you, so that's where the rest of our fault comes in. Now not only are you two in jail, you've brought four of us down with you."

Jax laughed, but he didn't have an ounce of amusement on his face. He stepped to where he and Juice were nose to nose.

"What? Now that you've got some little bitch riding your dick, you think you can talk down to me?" he asked Juice.

Jax had gone too far with that, and Juice don't know where he found the strength. All he knew is when those words left Jax's mouth, Juice pulled his fist back and punched him squarely in the jaw.

Juice glared as he heard the exclamations of disbelief from the other cell when they all watched Jax stumble backwards. None of them could believe what Juice had just done. Happy's eyes were as wide as saucers, and Jax glared at Juice as he wiped his mouth. At the sight of the blood on his hand, Jax began to charge at him, but Happy grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Stop, VP," he said, firmly. "Juice is right, this bullshit with Clay has gone too far. And sorry, but if anyone would have said that shit you just did about Tara, they'd be dead before they hit the floor and you know it."

Jax glared at Happy and back at Juice, but he threw his hands up in a "I'm good" motion. Happy let him go, still looking at him warily. Everyone else was still looking at Juice as if they'd never seen him before. It wasn't often he took a stand against the club, and him punching Jax was definitely not in his nature.

Jax ran his hand through his hair and leaned against the wall, glaring into the other cell at Clay.

"He's right," Jax finally said to Juice. "I'm sorry for that shit about Ana."

Juice nodded and rubbed his knuckles absentmindedly as Jax got back on his bunk.

"Me, too," he said. "For the punch. Not about the rest."

"Alright," was all he heard from Jax. Juice glanced over at Happy, who was lying down on his own bunk. Happy gave him a solemn nod, meaning that he wasn't going back on his word. He'd really have Juice's back, even if it meant going against the VP of the charter.

Juice looked back up to the bottom of Jax's bunk and sighed. So he had spoken his mind for once, and it didn't get him killed. Granted, they were in jail and there were no weapons around to kill him with, but still. He'd never had the balls to do that before Ana came around, and he was thinking that maybe it was time to grow up and start taking a stand.

The next day the club was sent to the yard, and things were tense. Between Jax and Clay, between almost everyone and Juice, and between the club and the rest of the inmates. They had no protection from the AB, and today was about getting some. They found an area near a fence, and Clay began making his rounds among the Blacks with Tig, trying to barter protection. Juice laid back on the bench and began to do sit ups as Jax, Happy, and Bobby talked among themselves. He heard his name mentioned, but since he wasn't called over, Juice decided that it wasn't worth getting up for.

As he did his sit ups, he thought about Ana. He wondered how she was handling the news about Polly Zobelle, and if she was the type to go after someone who ruined her life. She did wish death on her father most of her life, and she had some extreme bitterness toward her dead fiance when they first met. Juice didn't think Ana would kill the bitch, but he also knew somehow she wasn't going to take this shit sitting down. He only hoped that whatever she did, she was going to be smart about it.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Ana actually wasn't going after Polly Zobelle. It wasn't that she didn't want to, it was that Gemma had told her that Polly was hers to deal with. Why, Ana didn't know, but Gemma told her the last thing everyone needed was for one of the women to be in jail, too.<p>

Ana was sitting in Chibs's hospital room, sketching one of the flowers that had been left for him. Chibs was asleep, and Ana had volunteered to sit with him while Gemma went to try to find bail money. Ana handed over some of her money to get one of them out, but she still couldn't bring herself to look at the money her dad left without getting sick.

Chibs stirred in his bed and Ana looked up as he opened his eyes.

"Hey, Chibs," she said with a smile.

"Hey, pretty girl," he slurred. "What're you doing here?"

"Just making sure whoever did this doesn't come finish the job," Ana said. "How do you feel?"

"Like I got blown up, lass. Where's your boy at?"

Ana smiled slightly, knowing that Gemma and Chibs were the main ones who wanted her and Juice to be together. She didn't know if she should be the one to tell him about the guys being in jail, though. She didn't want to upset him and risk the brain bleed acting up again.

Thankfully, she was spared telling him when someone walked in. Judging by Chibs's reaction, she knew this was someone he knew but wasn't expecting to see. She was tall, and beautiful, with curly hair and caramel colored skin. Her eyes landed on Chibs first, then Ana, and narrowed at the sight of her.

"Lass, could you give us a moment?" Chibs asked, his eyes still on the strange woman. Ana hesitated. She really didn't want to leave him alone with her. She got a bad vibe from the whole situation but she couldn't exactly refuse Chibs at the moment, so with a mumbled goodbye to him, she gathered her sketchbook and purse and left.

She ran into Gemma on the way out, who looked, if it was even possible, more distraught than when she left.

"Oswald didn't come through?" Ana asked in disbelief.

"No," Gemma replied, taking her hand. There was a bigger problem at the moment that she needed to tell Ana. "Sit down, I have some more fucked up news."

Ana sat down, not knowing how much more bad news she could take in one day. Her losing her job, Chibs getting blown up, her friends being put in jail...her mind was about to explode.

"What is it?" she asked carefully.

Gemma sighed.

"Happy just called me about Juice. Jax tried to call you but I guess your phone is dead or something," she began. Ana took out her phone and swore. Dead it was.

"What's wrong with him?" Ana asked, expecting to hear the worst news but praying she wouldn't.

"Something happened in the yard, Happy wasn't clear on the details, but Juice ended up being stabbed in the back with a shiv," Gemma replied. "It was the AB."

Ana closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears that were threatening to spill over, but when Gemma took her hand, it was too much. Ana leaned against Gemma's shoulders and began to sob.

"He's going to be okay, Ana," Gemma said. "It missed his organs, but he's in the infirmary there, and he's going to be fine."

"This whole situation is fucked up, Gem," Ana cried, trying to control her breathing. She was on the verge of hyperventilating. "This is why I hate getting close to people, things always get fucked up and it's just hell for the people who care."

Gemma scoffed.

"Caring about people is basic human nature, and I'll never understand people who say they don't care about anyone," she said. "I know you care about that boy. And no one acts like this, over someone who they say is just a friend. I know something went down with you two yesterday, and now it's just your issues that's preventing you from being with him. You need to make a decision, soon. Either you're with him, or you're not. I'll love you to death either way, but don't string that boy along."

Ana nodded, wiping her eyes as the woman who was in Chibs's room came out, passing them as if they weren't even there. Gemma's intake of breath let Ana know that she knew the woman, too, and the look on her face told Ana that she didn't like her one bit.

"Who is that? Ana asked, confused. "Chibs asked me to leave when she came in."

Gemma shook her head, still glaring after the woman,

"There's only three women I've been scared of in my entire life. My mother, my third grade math teacher, and that Irish bitch," she said. "I'm going to see about getting some money, okay? I'll see you later."

"Later," Ana said.

The last couple of days had taken their toll on her. Juice had been stabbed in the back, because of some racist pricks who just couldn't handle a threat. Those same racist pricks who blew up Chibs, had gotten another SAMCRO member to lose an eye, and had cost her the job she busted her ass trying to get.

Ana knew that the Zobelles had a cigar shop downtown, and, as anger took over, she decided it was time she paid Miss Polly a visit, not giving a shit about what Gemma said. This was personal.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Okay so for those on Tumblr, this is why I asked if it would be out of character if I had Juice punch Jax. My point of this fanfic is to have Juice NOT be the club's whipping boy for once, and Ana's supposed to be the main source for that. He has someone outside of the club to care about now, so the reason for him doing the things he did in the show ("no family, no friends, nothing"), doesn't exist here. <strong>_

**_He punches Jax mainly because on top of his anger at being in jail, and being tired, Jax's jab at Ana was too much. _**I_**'m not going to lie, I loved having Juice do it, I'm not Jax's biggest fan by any means. **_**_And although I didn't write it in, my idea of Jax's retaliation for that (along with Clay's for Juice's anger at him, too) was Juice being used for bait for the guy in PC. So he didn't really get away with it the way I made it seem. _**

**_I hope that this has more narrative, it's definitely the longest chapter I've written so far. _**

**_As always, thanks for the reviews and the follows. I'm probably going to do one more chapter before Christmas._**


	14. Chapter 14

Ana pulled up to the cigar shop about thirty minutes later, and stopped to think about how she was going to do this.

Then Juice's words came back to her.

_"Be careful, these guys are smart."_

"Shit," Ana said to herself, putting on sunglasses and looking at her reflection in the rearview. "What are you going to do, Lewis?"

As she sat there thinking, Ana watched Polly Zobelle through the window of the store. She looked up at the corner of the storefront and saw a camera, and she knew there would be some on in the store as well. She put her car in reverse and drove to where the camera couldn't pick up her plates, and sat in the parking lot of the local playground, coming up with a plan. She decided she needed Juice's computer smarts and Gemma's mind fuckery with a little bit of Happy's psychotic flavor. All of a sudden, the perfect plan clicked into place.

"Oh, I am good," Ana said to herself, picking up a black pageboy cap and putting it on. She knew exactly what she had to do.

She walked into the store a few minutes later, sunglasses still on, and looked around, desperately.

"Can I help you?" Polly asked sweetly.

"Yes," she said in a Southern drawl. "I am in such a mess, right now. My husband loves cigars, and his birthday is coming up. He never really gets anything fancy, so I wanted to surprise him this year. The thing is, one, I have absolutely no idea what he'd like, since I personally can't stand the smell. Also, I want to get a beautiful box to put them in, and I was wondering if you had something you'd like to sell me?"

Polly smiled.

"Sure thing, I'll go check on that for you," she said, headed to the back of the store to check on the cigar cases and boxes they had in stock.

Ana made sure she was in the back before heading to the cigar display closest to the cable for the 'd watched Juice at the cameras in the clubhouse long enough to know what to look for. She located them quickly, and, remembering a trickhe had taught her, she took a pair of scissors and casually clipped the cables for the indoor and outdoor cameras before Polly came back.

"I think this should do. Any cigar preference?"

"The bigger the better," Ana said eagerly, walking over. "Preferably Cuban."

After Polly filled the box and put it in the paper bag, Ana went to grab her money but swore.

"Honey would you mind getting that money out and counting it? I just had my nails done and I think they're still wet," she asked with a smile and Polly laughed.

"Sure," she said, taking out the money. She counted out the correct amount and put the rest back. She then handed the bag over to Ana, who grinned.

"Mind if I look them over?"

"Not at all," Polly said, gesturing for her to go ahead.

Ana gingerly took the box out of the bag and acted like she was inspecting it.

"Oh, that's nice and heavy," she muttered before grasping the box in her hand firmly and slamming it into Polly's mouth.

"That's for the AB, you stupid bitch," she spat at the bleeding girl on the floor. Ana put the box back in the bag and left the store, smirking the entire way back to her car.

* * *

><p>"You did WHAT?" Gemma asked angrily an hour later after Ana had told her what she'd done.<p>

"I couldn't let her get away with that shit, Gemma, I'm sorry," Ana replied, not sorry at all. "Don't worry, I was smart. I shut off the cameras and I didn't even mention SAMCRO or any of that. Told her it was for the AB. I made sure not to get my prints on ANYTHING except the door handle and let's face it, that's going to be hard to prove with it being a common place to go to."

Gemma sat back and stared at Ana in amazement. This girl seemed to have had all of her bases covered. She even inadvertently pinned the attack on the Aryans, which would take the focus off of the Sons and would help unravel LOAN's inner circle for a little bit. Some of the guys in the club could afford to learn from smarts like that, her husband included.

She was still angry, mainly because Ana got to Polly before she could, but she also felt twinges of pride as she stared at the non-apologetic woman in front of her. Yeah, she was going to make a kick ass Old Lady one day.

"Holy shit," she finally said. "Clay is going to be impressed."

"He should be," Ana said, picking up the box and opening it. "Those are Cubans."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Juice was having his own problems. He was laying on his stomach on the uncomfortable infirmary bed, and looking up at that stupid ATF bitch who just couldn't get enough of them.<p>

"Ugh, why won't you just won't go away?" he asked nastily.

"It missed your vital organs, so that's good," Stahl said, ignoring him.

"Yeah. Well, now that you're here, I know why we haven't gotten bail or a court date. Thanks so much for that, by the way," he said sarcastically.

"Dangerous times for SAMCRO, huh?" she asked mockingly, and Juice rolled his eyes. It wasn't in his nature to hit a woman, but lately he didn't know what he wouldn't do. Especially to this smug, manly looking thing who seemed to have a hard on for the weaker associates of the club.

"I've already been shanked, bitch. Go find someone else's life to make miserable," he snapped, turning his head. She chuckled and walked over where she could look at him still. _God, this bitch just won't fucking take a hint_, he thought.

"Actually, I was wondering if you knew anything about Polly Zobelle being attacked earlier today?" she asked him, sitting down. "She said a woman came in and attacked her with a cigar box. Whoever the woman was was very smart to cover her tracks. Cut the camera lines. Didn't get prints on anything, not even the money she used to pay for the box. Clever little thing." Stahl paused. "Pretty, too, she said. Had a Southern accent but who knows, it could be fake."

Juice shrugged, but he was about 98% sure who it was. He felt a smile coming but kept it off his face.

"Beats me. I've been laid up here with a damn hole in my back. Don't have much contact with the outside world," he said. "Kind of the point of jail, isn't it?"

"What do you know about a woman named Analis Lewis?" Stahl asked him curiously. "Word around town is you two are practically joined at the hip. She your old lady?"

"No. What's Ana got to do with any of this, anyway?" Juice asked, narrowing his eyes. If his gut was true, and it probably was, there was no way that this bitch would even have evidence of Ana doing anything wrong, so he wasn't about to put that in jeopardy.

"Nothing. Just Miss Zobelle said she may have some reason to do her harm. However, we can't prove that she was the one behind the attack."

"The attack that has absolutely nothing to do with me, so why are you still talking about it?" Juice asked, irritated. "Isn't there some sort of confidentiality bullshit?"

Stahl threw her hands up in mock defeat. "You've got me there. So why not tell me about the beef between Clay and Jax."

Juice chuckled without humor. He knew she was headed there.

"Why would I tell you that?" he asked with a sneer.

"People heard you have words with Jax about it. Someone even mentioned a punch was thrown," Stahl replied, a mocking smile on her face. "Apparently, the Rican punched the Prince, and now you're in here with a stab wound to the back. Want to talk about it?"

"People, huh?" Juice said with a smart assed smile. Even if there was beef between Jax and Juice, which there wasn't, he still wasn't about to tell this smug bitch anything. "Only beef this club has, is with asshole feds."

With that, he turned back around,

"I see," he heard her say. "Well you take care, now."

Juice smiled a little as he heard her heels clicking away. So Ana _had_ dealt with Zobelle's daughter, and she kept what he said in mind, too. She stayed smart about it, and if everything worked out, no one would ever know it was her. It was something he needed to ask her about once he was out of here.

* * *

><p>The tension at the clubhouse the morning the guys got out was so thick, Ana could cut it with a knife. They all greeted her like normal, and Clay thanked her for the cigars with a grin as he lit one up, but she noticed that Jax had a difficult time looking at her. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know what that was about, and decided that he'd come to her if there was something she needed to know.<p>

Last to pass her was Happy, who hugged her reluctantly.

"Geeze, Hap, when are you a hugger?" she teased as he let her go.

"It's from the Puerto Rican pincushion," Happy said. "I don't know what you've done to that dude. Sometimes I like it. Times like this, I don't."

"Love you too, Hap," Ana said, rolling her eyes as he tousled her hair before going in the clubhouse. "Hey, wait, is he still at the jail?"

"Nah. They transferred him to St. Thomas when we were released," he called back before closing the door.

Ana grinned. She knew where she was headed today.

* * *

><p>After checking in with the nurse, she walked into Juice's room, and was a little disappointed to see that he was still sleeping. Sighing, she got settled in the armchair by the bed, and opened her bag. She decided to bring her sketchbook with her, in case things got boring. Gemma saw the sketches she did when she was sitting with Chibs, and asked her to do a few for her house. So she began to work on that as he slept.<p>

She would sneak glances at Juice ever so often as she drew. His hair had grown in, completely covering the tattoos on his head, and he looked even younger than he did with the mohawk. It was moments like these where she really wondered why he was in this life of chaos.

Ana also thought about where they were headed once everything settled down. It was known that he was probably headed to jail, and on some level, Ana should have probably cared. However, after Bobby informed her that Juice had actually fucking punched Jaxbecause of a heated insult, Ana wasn't caring too much about the prison thing.

She knew she had to make a decision about Juice, soon. Gemma was right, he didn't need to have her leading him on. She was all in, too, and she'd tell him when the time was right.

Juice felt someone looking at him, and kept hearing an annoying scratching sound. He cracked open his eyes and saw someone sitting beside him, writing something down.

"I'm sleeping," he mumbled, figuring it was either a nurse, a doctor, or a lawyer. "Go away."

"You sure about that?"

He opened his eyes all the way to see Ana sitting there, and the annoying scratching sound was her doodling in a sketch pad, and his annoyance faded instantly. She greeted him with a heartfelt smile that he returned instantly.

Damn she was pretty. She was wearing a white tank top with black jeans and a pair of boots he hadn't seen before. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun, and she looked more rested than the last time he'd seen her.

Which reminded him of the last time he'd seen her. That was when he kissed her in the elevator, and the memory brought a smile to his face. He was wondering if she thought about it as much as he did, but he didn't want to push his luck by asking her.

"Hey, beautiful," he said. "What are you doing here?"

Ana rolled her eyes playfully.

"The garage is short of cute Puerto Ricans, and I came to the hospital looking for one," she said. "But you'll have to do, I guess."

"You're funny," Juice said sarcastically. He sat up, groaning as he did so. "Fuck that hurts."

"You need help? Ana asked, putting down her sketch pad. "I can put the pillow behind your back or something."

"Yeah, thanks," he said, leaning up so she could do that. He heard her gasp a little when she saw the stab wounds, and he had to hold back on of his own when he felt her fingers touch the skin outside of the bandage tenderly for a brief moment.

"Did that hurt?" she asked softly as she adjusted the pillow so he could be comfortable.

"No," he said, wishing she hadn't taken her hand away so soon. "I mean, the actual stabbing, yeah, but-"

"You know what I meant, dorkface," Ana said, smiling as she sat back down and turned on the TV. "What do you wanna watch?" she asked, getting comfortable by sitting with her feet in the chair under her.

Juice lifted an eyebrow. "How long are you planning on staying?" he asked.

"All day if they'll let me," Ana replied, handing him the remote and grabbing her sketch pad. "I have to finish this for Gemma, and after that I have nothing to do. I may end up drawing this hospital room for the hell of it, I don't know."

Juice grinned. She was staying all day, and he was not going to complain.

"What are you drawing for Gemma?" he asked as he put the TV on the Animal Planet.

"A few things, actually," she said, and she began to describe the things Gemma wanted. Juice listened to her describe how much she loved to draw and paint, and how Gemma wanted her to do some paintings of birds and cherry blossoms for her bedroom. She also mentioned that most of the art on her walls was her own. She let Juice look through the sketchbook and he noticed one of the garage, with him sitting against the wall looking towards something.

"When'd you do this?" he asked, impressed. She even got the tattoo right.

"I did that one from memory, actually. I think I did that one in Seattle, when I was missing everyone," she said, blushing. The only thing she could draw from memory at that time was the garage and Juice. Mainly because one was her favorite place and the other was the person she'd thought about most while she was gone.

"You're really good," he said, grinning at the next drawing, which was just a series of doodles. Crows, happy faces, the SOA reaper, and the same design that was tattooed on his head. "You should show these to Happy, he's a tattoo artist and would probably pay you to draw some designs for him."

"Nah. That's just a hobby. Gemma's actually wanting me to do office manager work for her until this bullshit with the school board is done," Ana said, taking the sketchbook back. "I'm really thinking about saying fuck it for a while, Gemma's already said she'll pay me more than the school did, and it's not like I'm needing money anyway."

"Do what you want, babes," he said. "The most important thing is to do what makes you feel good."

Ana laughed, and Juice thought back on how he worded his last sentence. The he groaned and laughed, too.

"Sorry," he said, laughing. "That sounded better in my head, I promise."

They spent the rest of the day watching weird things on Animal Planet, and eating the snacks Ana had snuck into the room with her purse. Juice told Ana a little bit about him, how he was originally from Queens. He had a sister who he hadn't heard from in a while, and his mother had passed away years ago. He did go to college but got kicked out for changing grades around.

"Reminds me of when I almost got caught plagiarizing," Ana said after he detailed the dean's lecture. "I was being paid to write term papers in Seattle, and one time a teacher caught someone giving me money after I handed a paper to them. I just said that she dropped her paper in the library and she said she owed me money for something she broke. They didn't buy it, but they could never prove what I'd done."

"You're good at covering your tracks, I've heard," Juice said with a proud grin. "You hear about Zobelle's kid? Some crazy lady attacked her with a cigar box."

Ana pursed her lips. "I did hear someone talking about it last night. Whoever did it apparently cut the cables with a pair of scissors?"

Juice shook his head and laughed. This chick was something else, sometimes.

"How bad is her face?" he asked. Ana lifted an eyebrow and grinned.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Ortiz."

"Okay, fine. How long did you hustle paper at college?" he asked, changing the subject in case they were over heard. Ana winked before she answered.

"My entire time there. That time I almost got caught? It happened senior year. I made a killing doing it. I charged 50 bucks for essays, 100 for the big papers and projects. But enough about that, how'd you end up here in Charming?"

Juice chuckled. "You plan on staying all night?" he asked.

"Only until visiting hours are over," Ana replied. "That's the same thing you said last time I asked you, remember?"

"Yeah, Bobby's homecoming," Juice said, grinning. "I remember a lot from that night. I missed you a lot, and the guys were ragging me for it."

Ana smiled softly. "I missed you, too."

Juice reached out for her hand and she let him take it. He traced his thumb over her skin and sighed. "I'll tell you the story one day," he said. "It really is a long story, and I don't tell it to anyone if I don't have to."

The nurse came in then, and gave them a smile.

"Mr. Ortiz, visiting hours are over," she said. "Your wife can come back tomorrow."

Juice and Ana looked at each other for one brief moment before erupting into laughter.

"Ma'am, she's gorgeous and all, but she's not my wife," he said, wiping his eyes. "She's my..."

"I'm his best friend and we're discussing something more," Ana said suddenly, seeing him struggle for the right word. "But thank you, I'll be out in a moment." She turned back to Juice, who was looking at her questioningly.

"We're discussing more?" he asked as she gathered her things. She nodded as she turned back to him. It wasn't the way she wanted to tell him, but she knew she was no longer just his friend. That kiss had changed everything, and she couldn't deny that anymore.

"Yeah," she said. "We'll discuss it more when your ass is out of the hospital, okay?"

He nodded, with the corners of his mouth turning up in a devilish grin as he took her hand again. He kissed it tenderly before dropping it.

"I'll make sure my recovery is as fast as possible," he said.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I loved writing this chapter, I really really did. It started out as a random one shot (and I have several written that I'll tie in as we progress), and I just shaped it into Chapter 14.<strong>_

_**Yes, I had to have Ana deliver some justice to that Zobelle bitch, and remembering how fucking pretentious they were in the show, I knew she had to be careful doing it. Someone asked if I was going to have her take down the entire LOAN network, but no, I like the way it was handled in the season 2 finale and I have big plans for the moments before they go to Timberland for the fight. **_

_**The bit with Juice and Stahl is actually from a deleted scene, and I just added to it. **_

_**Thanks to stormdec23 and to the guest reviewer, your feedback is very much appreciated and I hope that you get dreams of Theo, the Elf of Christmas dorkdom tonight. **_

_**Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Yule, Happy Kwanzaa or whatever else there is that is celebrated this time of year. I may update again before the festivities, I may not. Who knows? **_

_**Peace and love to you all.**_


	15. Chapter 15

The next few days were some of the worst that had ever happened since Ana'd lived in Charming. Luanne was dead, beaten to death by some rival porn producer. Juice still couldn't come home, because he was still passing a lot of blood. Ana visited him every chance she could, which were mainly during breaks at the garage and after she clocked out. She'd taken Gemma up on the job offer, and now her days were spent filing papers and getting rid of old reciepts.

Gemma had given her the day off and Ana found herself sketching in Juice's hospital room again as he watched something disgusting on the Animal Planet.

"Why, tell me, are you watching this?" Ana asked, disgusted as a lion ripped apart a zebra.

"I don't know," Juice admitted, shrugging. "Good news, though. I may go home tonight or tomorrow."

Ana smiled as she finished the sketch she'd been working on. "Done," she said.

Juice craned his neck so he could see, but she closed it before he got a good look.

"Aw, I was trying to see," he complained, sticking out his bottom lip. Ana laughed at the cuteness of it all and opened it up to her latest sketch and handed it to him.

"It's me," Juice said, looking over it with interest. "With hair."

Ana nodded as she took the book back. "I actually like the hair. Makes you look younger and nicer."

Juice cracked up. "That's why I had the haircut. It's not biker-like to look young and nice. You have to look hardcore."

Ana opened her mouth to retort, but was interrupted by a knock at the door, and then it opened to reveal Jax and Bobby.

Ana automatically knew something was up. All that had been happening this past week was yelling and fighting. Now they were here with grim looks, but plastered fake smiles on their faces when they saw Juice.

"How's my favorite pincushion?" Jax asked. "Damn, didn't know you had company, bro. What's up, Ana?"

"Hey, Jax," Ana said. "Hey, Bobby."

"Hey, beautiful. Keeping the Rican here happy?" Bobby asked, hugging Juice. Ana observed the two men with a skeptical eye. This wasn't good at all.

"Man, I'll tell you, I miss you guys, but the view is definitely great in here," Juice said, winking at Ana, who rolled her eyes and began sketching another page.

"Better off you're in here, man. Shit's crazy out there," Jax said.

"I heard what happened to CaraCara. Crazy shit man," Juice replied.

The room got quiet and Ana looked up to see Bobby and Jax looking at her expectantly.

"Is this the part where I should leave?" she asked. "Club shit and all that?"

Bobby cracked a smile.

"You're right, Juicy, she is a smart one." he said.

Ana looked at Juice, who looked worried. He didn't want her to go, but she wasn't exactly in a position to refuse Jax and Bobby.

"I'll be back?" she asked him.

"Please?" he asked back. He knew this wasn't good either, Ana noticed.

Ana nodded.

"Okay boys, I'll be outside. Don't rough him up. He may not be my boyfriend yet, but he's still nice to look at," she said, grabbing her sketch pad.

"Thanks, darlin," Jax said.

* * *

><p>Ana was sitting down not even five minutes when Jax walked out, distressed. She didn't know what went down just now, but it was probably dealing with everything that happened this past week. Jax still couldn't look at her without looking guilty, but she'd given up trying to find out why.<p>

"Give them a few minutes, sweetheart," he said, sniffing.

"Jax?" Ana asked. "Look, I know we don't talk often. Matter of fact, here lately you can't look at me. But your wife is awesome, your mom is probably my best friend, and Juice...well, I don't know. I care about him a lot. All of that makes me connected to you in some way, and I know when something's up."

Jax smiled a little and hugged her.

"You're one in a million, you know that, right?" he said, pulling away. "You remind me so much of my mom and Tara, but you're different in some way, too. I shouldn't be saying this, but Juice loves you. Enough to throw a punch at me for insulting you."

Ah. There was the reason why he'd been avoiding her. He felt bad.

"Don't worry about that, I'm used-"

"You shouldn't be used to people insulting you, Ana," Jax said severely. "And I am so fucking sorry for saying it. Like I said, Juice loves you, and he's going to need to know if you're in or out. Don't string him along just to shatter his heart down the road. I love him, but I don't think he's going to be able to handle that."

"He loves me?" Ana asked, strangely.

"Yeah," Jax said, nodding. "He hasn't said it. He doesn't need to. You've changed him, he's not quite the moron he was before. But he's going to need a steady, and I think you're it. You're his safe haven."

Bobby came out then and saw Jax and Ana. Shaking his head, he walked over and put his hand on Ana's shoulder.

"He needs you," he said simply. "Let's go," he said to Jax, a little harshly. Ana stood there looking after the two men as they walked away. She put her emotions in check as they turned the corner, and she walked back into the room to see Juice wiping his eyes.

"Everything okay JC?" she asked, concerned.

He looked at her and smiled a little. "Yeah. It'll be fine."

"What happened? Or can you talk about it?" Ana asked.

"I could, but I don't want to. Not right now."

"Juice-"

"Can you just...lay with me for a little bit? I just want to forget what just happened and I want a pretty girl to lay down with me," he said sadly.

And dropped her sketch pad on the table and went to his bed, where he scooted over.

"Sure," she said, lying next to him. He put his arm around her and sighed.

"Life fucking sucks sometimes, Ana."

Ana laid there and twined her fingers in with his. She could feel him quietly crying behind her, and that made tears fill her own eyes. She never felt anything bad toward the club before now, but right now she hated the Sons for making Juice cry. She didn't know what happened. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know, but she knew that the man who was holding her deserved so much better than what he had.

* * *

><p>After he woke up, Juice told Ana that Jax was going Nomad. Nomad meant no home, no charter, just you and the road. It was MC purgatory. Ana sat in the chair as he tugged his shirt and kutte on. His jeans were already on, he'd done that when Ana went for coffee. He did end up being released that night and she was giving him a lift to his place.<p>

"So Nomad is bad?" Ana asked as he put his boots on. He nodded and winced as he stood back up. He sat on the bed and waited for the doctor to bring the discharge papers for him to sign.

"An MC is like your family. Club comes before everything once you patch. Blood family, friends, everything moves back a row. Jax told me this. He said once you patch, the MC is your family. That charter is your home. Jax going nomad is him turning his back on the family to a lot of people," he explained.

Ana nodded. "That's understandable," she said. "How do you feel?"

Juice shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Gave my yes vote. He wanted to do it."

Ana would have said something else, but then the doctor came in with papers. After signing them, a nurse showed up with a wheelchair to wheel him out.

"I'll take that," Ana said harshly as the nurse made goo goo eyes at Juice. Juice sat down and held Ana's bag as she grabbed the handles of the chair. Smiling slightly, she took off running down the hall, Juice laughing like crazy as she did. He was eager to be out of the hospital, and if he had to be in the chair to get out, then she could do this however she wanted to.

Juice sat in the front seat as Ana drove, laughing as she sung off key to the Temptations. One thing he realized about Ana was she didn't give a fuck if her voice wasn't like a singer's. If she liked the song, she was going to turn it up and sing as loud as she could.

"Quit laughing at me, Juan, and give me directions to your place," she said, turning down the music.

"You could take me to the clubhouse. My place is in a bad neighborhood, and most of my shit's at the club anyway," Juice said. "And sorry, but I've never seen you look so happy before."

Ana grinned again as she turned onto Main Street.

"You being released is the highlight of my week," she explained. Juice listened as she talke about all the tensions at the club. She did mention that Happy was talking about patching Redwood, although he'd only mentioned it to her for the time being. She also told him that Gemma seemed to be losing her mind day after day.

Soon they pulled up to the clubhouse, and Juice sighed as they got out. Ana carried a bag of his stuff as they walked into the clubhouse, and they were greeted by Chibs and Bobby.

"Juicy boy, it's glad I am to see you," Chibs said. Juice hugged Chibs back tightly. Last time he'd seen Chibs, he was bleeding out on the concrete outside. Chibs pulled away from Juice and ruffled his hair affectionately. "You need a haircut, boy."

"I'll do that," Bobby said. "Thanks for being there for him, Ana."

Ana smiled at the two older men affectionately. "It wasn't a problem at all, no need to thank me."

"I'm glad you're out," Chibs said, winking at Ana before turning to Juice. "Clay and Jax both just called. Church tomorrow morning."

"I thought Jax-"

Chibs shrugged.

"I don't know. He just said it was important that everyone was there. Oh, and Ana, don't come in tomorrow. Garage is closed," he said to Ana. "They'll pay you still, but you can't come in until Gemma calls, okay?"

Ana nodded, confused. "Alright. I guess I'll see you guys later."

Juice took her hand. "I'll walk you out," he said, ignoring the catcalls behind him.

They walked out to her car and Juice leaned against the passenger door. His thumb traced patterns against the skin of her hand as he stood there quietly for a moment. Ana looked up at him, Jax's words ringing in her head.

_"He loves you, you know."_

Juice caught her eye and smiled softly.

"I'm glad you're around, you know," he said. "Not many chicks could deal with all this shit."

Ana gave a sarcastic smile.

"You know me, I'm all about the badassery," she said. Juice chuckled and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Thanks, Ana," he said. "Really. For everything."

Ana's breath caught in her throat when she saw how he was looking at her. It was a look of desire and wanting and pure love, and it turned her insides into mush. She couldn't think, or barely breathe as his lips fell on her cheek tenderly.

"No problem, Juan," she whispered as she pulled away. "I uh should get home. I'm actually pretty tired. I know you are, too."

Juice sighed in disappointment as he saw those damn defenses go up again, and he mentally cursed those two bastards who broke her.

"Yeah," he said, hiding his disappointment with a smile. "I'll call you tomorrow?"

She nodded, hugging him quickly as she opened her car door. "I'll be waiting."

Juice watched her drive away, disappointment still reigning through his body. He knew she wanted him, too. The next move was on her, and he was going to try to break down those walls as soon as he could, because she deserved to be happy, and he knew there was a lot of things he couldn't do. But he could definitely make her happy.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Happy New Year, everyone! New chapter, yay! I think everyone knows what comes next and I promise, it's going to be soon when these two kids finally make it official. <strong>_

_**I hope everyone had an awesome time over the holidays. **_


	16. Chapter 16

Gemma was raped. Gemma was actually fucking raped and no one had even thought to notice. Juice was seething as he helped Clay go through all the personal weapons everyone was bringing in. It was so obvious, now, looking back. The way she was walking, her freaking out on Clay that one time at the porn studio. Juice couldn't speak for the other guys, but he was so angry at himself, and at Zobelle's crew for what had happened. He knew that today, shit was getting settled.

"Juice."

Clay's voice was serious, but it didn't have the condescension that it normally contained when he addressed him, so Juice looked up in curiousity. Clay was looking at him differently, like he was a member of the club for once and not just the idiot.

"Yeah?" Juice asked.

"You and the teacher. What's up with that?" Clay asked, handing him a gun to stash in the bag. Jucie took it and then sat back on his heels, running his hand over the back of his head. He didn't really know for sure what was up with that, but he wasn't about to tell Clay. If they were going into lockdown like he'd heard Jax discussing earlier, he wanted Ana here where she would be safe.

"I like her a lot. I want to be with her, and I think the feeling's mutual," he said. "I care about her a lot. I know Gemma does, too."

Clay nodded, a small smile forming. "Yeah, Gemma does like her. Ana's a good girl. Remember when you said she had a shitty taste in men?"

Juice laughed a little, remembering the ex chasing her. "Yeah, I do."

"I think that she's getting a better taste. I'm proud of the person you've become since meeting her," Clay said. "Standing up to Jax and me in jail...we needed that. You manned up, and I respect that."

Juice felt pride welling up inside him. That was a rare compliment from the President, especially toward him. The truth was everything he said and done in jail wasn't just for the club, but for him and for Ana as well. This was what growing up was like, he guessed. Caring about someone other than yourself.

"Are we done here?" Juice asked, gesturing to the guns. "I need to go take care of something real quick."

"Yeah, go ahead," Clay said. "Fill Ana in. On everything."

Juice nodded, not even caring how Clay knew that's where he was going. He thought about what happened to Gemma, and for a brief moment, wondered what would he do if it was Ana who had gone through that. Juice didn't like the feeling at all, so he grabbed his helmet, kutte, and keys, and headed to his bike, focused on one thing and one thing only.

* * *

><p>Ana was awakened from a nap by someone pounding on her front door. Grumbling, she got up and stumbled to the front door and opened it.<p>

Juice was standing there, looking distressed and worried. He took one look at her and sighed in relief, pulling her close to him and holding her tightly.

"Juice what the-"

"Shut up for a minute," he said, still holding her as he walked into the house and closed the door. He locked it and continued to hold her.

Ana could feel his heart beating wildly under his kutte and shirt, and felt fear creeping in. What the hell had happened now? Why was Juice so...scared? Ana looked up at him. His eyes were closed and he was taking deep breath after deep breath, and the look on his face was one of a man who was recovering from the shock of his life.

"Juan," she said, hoping he would open his eyes. She was not disappointed; he looked down at her, and pulled away.

"Sorry, Ana, just-" his voice broke as he sat on her couch. "I've got to tell you something, and I'm scared that it's going to push you away for good.

Ana sat down next to him and took his hand. She sat in silence for a moment, debating on whether or not she wanted to hear it. She wasn't sure if she could handle anything else going wrong.

However, was that risk losing Juice? They weren't together, not officially anyway, but she enjpyed his company, and she loved the way he made her feel, and she was sure she didn't want to lose that.

"Juan, look at me," she said, finally. When he did, her heart broke at the sadness in his eyes. He looked like a child getting ready to be scolded, and she didn't want to see that look on his face ever again. "I'm not leaving. I'm not going anywhere, so just tell me, okay?"

Juice nodded, then looked back to the floor. His fists clenched and he seemed to struggle to find the right words to say what he needed to say.

"Gemma was raped the night of Bobby's party," he said bitterly.

Ana gasped. She was expecting something bad, but this definitely wasn't the kind of news she was looking to hear.

"No," she said, tears filling her own eyes.

"Yeah," Juice said as he stood up and paced the floor in front of her. She sat on her couch, the whole world going deaf for a moment.

Gemma was raped? She knew that something bad had happened but it never crossed her mind that a rape would ever happen to Gemma, who was kick ass and wasn't afraid to kill someone who even tried that shit with her. As she thought about it more, the more Ana hated herself. The signs were right there in front of her face.

"Holy shit," Ana whispered tearfully. "Jax and Clay-"

"Are understandably upset. We all are," Juice said, leaning against the wall and observing her reaction. He watched her as she wiped the tears from her face, and then she looked up at him.

"Juice, am I in danger?" Ana asked him, her eyes begging him to tell her the truth.

"No," he said firmly. He walked back to where she was and kneeled in front of her, taking her hands in his. "No, no, no. Nothing is going to happen to you as long as I'm around, I promise. And if it does, I will fuck up whoever did it to you."

Ana nodded and leaned her head against his shoulder. Juice pressed his cheek against her hair as she quietly cried into his shoulder. They stayed like that for a while, just the two of them, comforting the other as the world they both knew and loved seemed to fall to pieces around them.

Juice's phone rang, ruining the moment, and he answered as Ana composed herself.

"Yeah?...Yeah, give me about fifteen and I'll be there. Actually," he said, waving his hand at Ana as she grabbed her keys. "Meet me at Clay's and I'll ride out with you guys there...okay."

"What?" Ana asked, keys still in her hands.

"You're going to Gemma's?" he asked, gesturing to the keys. Ana nodded, confused.

"I'll follow you there. This bullshit happening, they've already got to you once and I don't want it happening again," he explained, mentally begging her not to fight him on this.

"Okay," Ana said reluctantly. As she grabbed her bags, he remembered something Bobby had mentioned at church.

"Hey," he said, catching her arm as she walked past him. "I know that this is out of the blue, and it's unlikely that you do, but you don't happen to have any guns around, do you?"

Ana paused and looked at him, debating on whether or not to ask why he asked her that. SHe decided not to, and she just walked to the closet where all of the shit of her dad's she couldn't sell was. She reached in the bag and pulled out two bags and a lock box.

"Two shotguns, and two pistols in the lockbox," she said, pulling a key off of her keychain and handing it to him." I also have a Beretta in my room, but that's mine and no one touches it," she said to him as he looked over everything in awe. "There's a bunch of ammo in the closet, too. Matter of fact, I was thinking of letting the guys come and look through his stuff, if they want anything."

Juice laughed a little, shocked at what this girl had been carrying in her house. He didn't even know she carried a pistol. "What type of Beretta?" he asked.

"Tomcat," she said nonchalantly. "Got it after the asshole tried to run me off the road. I'm licensed, so I won't get in trouble."

Juice smiled as he shouldered the bags. "Mind taking this to the clubhouse before going to see Gemma?"

"Not at all," Ana said. She knew what they needed these guns for, and she damn sure had no objections to what they were going to do.

* * *

><p>Ana saw Gemma in the office at the garage as she pulled in, Juice pulling into his spot at the bike rack. She tossed him her keys as he made his way over, and Ana walked into the office to see Gemma staring at the wall, lost in thought.<p>

"Hey, Gem," she said, as the older woman continued to stare.

"Hey, Ana," Gemma said hollowly, taking a puff of her cigarette. "Juice tell you?"

Ana nodded as she sat on the couch beside Gemma. "Yeah, he did. In other circumstances, it would be amusing how he nearly broke down my door to see if I was okay, but it's not funny at all right now," she said, tapping her fingers on the couch.

Gemma cracked a small smile. "I don't know, it is a little funny. Another sign of how crazy that kid is about you," she replied.

Ana nodded, knowing Gemma was right. She was with Juice, it was just time he knew it. That wasn't important right now, though. They needed to handle this, first.

"Why couldn't you tell anyone, Gemma?" Ana finally asked. Gemma shook her head, shrugging.

"Telling Clay or Jax, it would have been letting Zobelle and his asshole minions win. Cops sure as hell wouldn't do anything. It was my burden to bear," Gemma replied.

"You could have told me," Ana argued back. "I wouldn't have said anything."

Gemma smiled and patted Ana's hand. "You had more than enough to deal with at the moment. You had just gotten some real happiness in your life, I didn't want to ruin that, sweetheart," she explained. "I don't like people worrying about me. I'm supposed to worry about others."

Ana went to reply but saw Piney walking into the clubhouse with a look of pure hatred on his face. She and Gemma looked at each other for a brief moment before taking off to the clubhouse before something bad could happened. Before they reached the door, they heard gunshots from inside, and Gemma pulled Ana back, fearfully.

"Stay here, I'll be right back," she demanded before running into the clubhouse. After a few minutes, all was quiet again and Gemma came back out, shaking her head as she walked back toward Ana. "Crazy old man."

"What happened?" Ana asked, looking back as the club members came out, some angry, others confused. Juice wasn't with them, and Ana's heart sunk for a moment before she remembered that if he was hurt, Gemma would have told her.

"Piney being crazy, total misunderstanding," Gemma said casually. "Look, there's going to be a lockdown starting tomorrow. Tonight, pack some things and come here before 10, okay?"

"Lockdown?" Ana asked, confused.

"Clay's orders. Anyone the club cares about needs to be here, so they don't get hurt, okay? He specifically said your name. Happy will come by to escort you. They need Juice here," Gemma explained. Ana nodded.

"Alright, I'll be here."

* * *

><p>Ana threw all the ammo to her dad's guns into her duffel bag, and tossed in clothes, money, her sketchbook, and some pencils and watercolors before zipping it up. She casually tossed it to Happy, who was standing in her living room like a quiet, still statue. He caught it with ease and slid it onto his shoulder. Ana then grabbed her purse and put her gun inside of it, making sure the safety was on.<p>

"You packing heat is something that I don't ever think I can get used to," Happy said in disbelief as she shouldered her purse and grabbed her keys.

"I've done it for months before I met you, Dopey," Ana replied as he followed her to her car. He tossed her bag into the passenger seat and walked to his bike as she got behind the wheel. They took off, trying to make it on time before they shut down the gates to the garage.

They barely made it, and Ana spotted Juice rolling his eyes at her car as he gave the order for the gates to close. He jogged over to her car and grabbed her bag as she got out.

"You're late," he said, pretending to be mad as he side-hugged Ana with his free arm.

"Overslept. Happy nearly scared the shit out of me," she replied. "You tell him where my spare key was?"

Juice shook his head as he led her into the clubhouse. "Nah, probably Gemma. I'm going to put this in my dorm, okay?"

Ana nodded and he grinned and headed towards the dorm rooms. Gemma spotted her next and made her way over, shaking her head.

"Good morning, sleepy head," she said teasingly. "Up late?"

"Couldn't find my damn bag," Ana answered. "By the time I found it, it was three AM. I promised I was only going to close my eyes for a minute, then I woke up with Happy standing over me with cold water. Asshole," she shot at the man in question, who grinned back. He had no remorse whatsoever.

Jax and Tara walked in then, with Abel, and Juice reappeared at her side, handing her a Coke. They both went over to stand with Happy, who punched Juice in the stomach playfully as they reached him.

Tig whistled and yelled "Everybody! Listen up!"

Quiet fell in the clubhouse as Clay made his way forward. Juice put his arm around Ana's waist causually and pulled her a little closer. Happy rested his elbow on her shoulder as they all listened to what Clay had to say.

"I want to welcome you-all to the Club Reaper. I'm glad you made your reservations early 'cause, as you can see, we are booked to capacity."

Ana looked around and had to agree with him. It seemed like anyone who even breathed in SAMCRO's direction was here. She turned her attention back to Clay.

"You're here because you're family. And because SAMCRO takes care of its own. Next couple of days, this club's got some business to handle that could put our members and the people connected to us in unfriendly situations. Now, chances are, nothing's going to happen, but people have already been hurt on my watch," he said, as his eyes went first to Gemma, then to Clay, and then they landed on her for a brief moment. Ana gave him a confused look, and he returned it with a small smile.

"And that ain't ever going to happen again," he said, his eyes back on his wife, who was paying attention to every word. "Nobody gets in. Nobody leaves without an escort. You got a safety concern, you talk to Piney," he said, and Piney lifted his gun. "You got a comfort concern, you talk to my queen." Gemma nodded toward everyone, and Clay took a deep breath before finishing his speech.

"Under this roof, you'll all be safe. I want you to make yourself at home. I love all of you."

He walked away as everyone began to talk again, and Ana let out a breath.

"That was cheerful," she said, moving out of Juice's grasp so she could get her drink. She was wondering why Clay looked at her when he mentioned people being hurt on his watch. Didn't he know she didn't blame her job on them? Chibs and Gemma wasn't his fault, either.

Clay walked over to her after being hugged by Jax and reached out his hand.

"I'm real sorry about the job," he said sincerely. "They did that because they knew you were friendly with us, and I can't apologize enough."

Ana shook his hand, but shook her head. "I've never once blamed any of you for that," she said. "Don't beat yourself up over it, Clay."

Clay nodded, and looked over at Juice, who was watching their exchange as he talked to Happy. "Juice really cares about you. He's shown more heart this past year than I've ever seen him show since he's prospected," he said. "You'll be sticking around, right?"

Ana nodded with a smile. Something about Clay's praise of Juice warmed her heart. "Yeah. I plan to."

Clay kissed her on the cheek quickly then looked around.

"Alright boys! Church!"

* * *

><p><em><strong>Okay, here we go. I'm working on the next chapter right now, and watching The Culling as I do it. You're really going to want to read the next one. Big stuff. Big Big Big stuff.<strong>_

_**Also, feel free to leave me some fluff ideas for this story and the next one as well. This story ends when Season 3 ends, and the next begins a few months before they're released. **_


	17. Chapter 17

Jax, Opie, and Juice came out of the church room, and immediately headed for the door as Ana sat on a couch with Lyla, holding Abel for Tara.

"Hey there Mr. Man," she said in a baby voice, making him giggle. "All the craziness going on and you just have no idea."

Lyla laughed along with Abel that time. Ana liked playing with Abel. He seemed to be the only one who was unconditionally happy. Oh to be that young and carefree again, Ana thought as she tickled Abel's belly. Abel laughed and grabbed her hair, making her cry out and laugh at the same time.

"He likes you," Lyla said, taking Abel so Ana could adjust her hair. Tara came and took him with a smile and a thank you to Ana, and Lyla took a deep breath.

"Who are you with?" she asked. Lyla knew she wasn't a crow eater, because Tara and Gemma seemed to treat Ana better than they treated her. She had to be someone's Old Lady, and she had a nagging suspicion who.

Ana shrugged and watched from the window as Juice followed behind Opie and Jax out of the compound. She knew this was coming. Most of the crow eaters eyed her as if she didn't belong, and some of the hangarounds were eying her like she was a crow eater.

"No one, really. I'm a friend of Gemma's," Ana explained. Lyla gave her a look of amused disbelief, and knew that she wasn't really buying it.

"You came in with Happy this morning, and you two looked cozy while Clay was talking," Lyla said matter of factly.

Ana, who had been drinking water as she said that, snorted and coughed as she choked. After she recovered, she wiped her face with a napkin and laughed.

"No," she said, catching her breath. "I'm definitely not with Happy. If I was with anyone, it would be Juice."

Lyla gasped. "Oh, yeah! I remember now. Opie did mention something about Juice having a girlfriend, but I didn't really know if she was someone who hung around here. You weren't a crow eater, were you?"

Ana shook her head. "Nope. I was a teacher. I met Juice when I needed a new car..."

Ana told Lyla how she and Juice became friends, but noticed that she didn't exactly correct her when she said she was Juice's girlfriend. Did it really matter now? For all intents and purposes, she was more than his friend now. It didn't hurt to have a label on it.

* * *

><p>Juice rode back to the garage with Opie and Jax. He could see Ana with Lyla and the kids playing with water guns behind the garage, and he spied Happy and Kozic out there with them. Opie followed his line of sight and shook his head.<p>

"That's something else you need to settle," he said to Juice.

"I did. Her move, brother," Juice replied, grinning as Kenny got Ana in the ass with the water gun. He heard Happy yell "Nice!" and he chuckled a little as well. Opie snorted and punched Juice lightly on the back. "Come on, Juice. Let's go see what else we need to do."

They found themselves sitting at the bar listening to Chucky talk about the CaraCara fire. How it was really Weston who burned the place down, not someone in the club. After Chucky split, Jax sighed and looked at the chief and Juice.

"We may need a little help inciting Weston into making the wrong decisions," he said to Unser. Then he looked at Juice. "And you're about to want to punch me again."

"Why?" Juice asked, defensively.

Jax looked at Clay who groaned and nodded for him to go on.

"If we can't get Weston on his own by ourselves, we're going to need some bait," he said. "A young, attractive sort of bait." Jax looked at Juice knowingly.

Juice looked at Jax for a moment, confused as it all settled in. When Juice pieced it all together, it turned out Jax was right. He did want to punch him again.

"No. Oh hell no. Fuck that," Juice said, standing up immediately. Opie rose behind him, ready to hold him back from lunging at the VP. "No way in fucking hell is Ana going anywhere near that sick fuck! Why can't you use Lyla or Tara or any of the crow eaters around here?"

Clay cleared his throat before Jax could retort.

"Because Ana is newer in town than they are, and her connections to the club isn't as concrete as others," he explained calmly. "Her connections were only assumed, and I'm thinking Weston was focused on Gemma and Polly was the sole one behind Ana's firing. Weston isn't really going to know how deep Ana is in here."

Juice seethed, but he couldn't argue his way around it. No matter how much he didn't like it, he could see their reasoning behind it. He did have one condition, and they were just going to have to deal with it.

"If she says no, it's a fucking no," he finally said, storming to his dorm room. "And I swear to God, I will go Nomad if any of you fuckers try to pressure her into saying yes. That makes you no better than that asshole."

* * *

><p>Ana came in some time later, soaking wet and laughing with Happy. That stopped when she saw Jax and Clay looking at her with tense gazes. She did a quick once through and didn't see Juice. She was pretty sure that this wasn't by coincidence, so she spoke up.<p>

"Fellas?" she asked curiously. "What's up?"

Jax opened his mouth but Clay patted his shoulder before he could say anything. He shook his head at the vice president and gave a smile to Ana.

"Nothing, doll. Go get cleaned up, and tell Juice that you're not doing it. Case closed. He'll understand," Clay said, walking out with Jax and Opie. Happy shrugged at her as he followed them. Ana, confused as hell, shook her head and walked down the hall of dorm rooms, knocking on each one. She finally reached one that was locked and knocked softly.

"What?" a harsh but familiar voice said.

Ana was startled by how harsh Juice's voice was. "It's uh...it's me?" she said carefully.

He opened the door, and his hardened expression faded when he saw how much of a mess Ana was. "What the hell?" he asked, trying to hide his amusement.

"Your fucking friend Happy," Ana said playfully as he stepped aside for her to come in. "He got me with the damn hose."

She spied her bag on his bed and went through it for some clothes. She looked up and noticed that his smile faded and he was scowling again. Clay's words came back to her and she knew that his words were connected to Juice's uncharacteristically bad mood. "Why are you upset?"

"M'not," he mumbled, sitting on his bed and looking up at the ceiling angrily.

"Bullshit, Juan. Why did Clay tell me to tell you I wasn't doing it, case closed?" Ana asked, putting her hands on her hips defiantly.

Juice sat up immediately. "He said that?"

Ana nodded and the anger seemed to leave his body instantly. "What am I not doing?" she asked as he breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'll tell you later," he said, looking her up and down. He got off the bed, and he bit his lip and he walked toward Ana. She looked so damn sexy in her mud splattered T-Shirt, and the jeans that were so wet they stuck to her like a second skin. He could feel his cock twitch in his jeans as he admired the way the jeans hugged every inch of her. He didn't know what he planned on doing, but he sure wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to have his lips on her again.

"You could tell me now," she said, her voice faltering at the heated look in his eyes as he walked closer.

"I could," he said, touching her hip lightly and pulling her closer to him. He used his other hand to tip her face up where she could see him, and he smiled at the struggle in her face between wanting to know what made him angry, and wanting to know what he would do next.

"I think you should," she whispered, looking up into his eyes. He smirked a little before dropping his gaze to her lips.

"I really should," he replied, bringing his mouth down to hers.

Before he could kiss her, though, his phone buzzed. He rested his forehead against hers and groaned. Pulling away, Juice read the text message, and cursed.

"I've got to go with Jax, but there's a shower in there if you want to clean up. And cool off," he added with a knowing smirk. Juice kissed her cheek sweetly before grabbing his kutte and helmet. "And we should talk later."

"Yeah, we really should," she mocked him, desire still evident in her eyes. With one last teasing grin, he left the room, her words still ringing in his mind.

* * *

><p>Ana walked into the main room of the clubhouse an hour later, feeling a lot better after her shower, and grinning at the thought of what almost happened in Juice' room. However, when she saw the looks on Tara's and Lyla's faces, she felt her good feelings fade away instantly. They were huddled around Gemma, who was on the phone with what sounded like Jax.<p>

"The guys are going to meet with Weston tonight," Tara said in a whisper. "Jax told him someone's leaving in a body bag. Yeah," she said before Ana could ask. "Juice is going too."

Ana didn't say anything else. She heard a ringing in her ears and she felt the walls closing in on her.

Ana ignored everyone calling after her as she stormed out of the clubhouse before she lost her shit. This was so much bullshit. She was scared shitless for all of the guys, mainly because she saw fear in Gemma's eyes when she was on the phone with Jax. This wasn't going to end well. She and Juice weren't even fucking official yet, and now there was a chance that he could be dead by the end of the night. She wished they'd said to hell with Jax and fucked against the bedroom wall when they had the chance. Now she may never get that chance again.

But even without all of that, Juice's presence as a whole would be something she'd missed if he was taken away from her. Over the past year, he'd become her best friend, someone she grew to love. Now that they had a real shot of making something happen between them, this had to happen.

She heard heels clicking behind her and knew Gemma had found her. She steeled herself against the tongue lashing she knew was coming. So she was surprised when Gemma sat next to her and took her hand, instead. As Ana looked at her, she saw understanding and sympathy in Gemma's eyes.

"It's not fair," Gemma said. "I know. This is why I've been telling you to make sure you know where you and him stand."

Ana didn't speak, just nodded, so Gemma kept talking.

"We don't let them see this shit upset us, Ana. It's the way we are. We're their backbone. We fall apart, they fall apart. They need us whole, okay?"

Ana nodded again as she heard the roar of motorcycles as they pulled in. She knew Juice was with them, and that he was probably going to want to see her soon. Gemma looked back to see Clay beckoning her over and sighed.

"Just be sure you tell him before he leaves," she said, squeezing Ana's shoulder.

Ana wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Gemma was right. Juice didn't need to see her like this, especially before whatever was going down tonight happened. And she needed to tell him where she stood. She took a deep breath, put a brave smile on her face, and headed for the clubhouse, ready to let him know what was up.

* * *

><p>Juice was looking for Ana as everyone else was saying their goodbyes. She wasn't in the dorm rooms or in the office. Her car was still out front, and Piney said she hadn't left. So where the hell was she?<p>

He got his answer as he went outside with the rest of the guys. Ana was leaning against one of the posts holding the roof up, with a small smile on her face. He smiled back and hugged her tightly.

"I'll be okay, Ana," he whispered to her as he felt her arms tighten around his neck. She pulled back a little and smiled, right before kissing his lips softly.

Ignorning the whistles and cat calls, he deepened the kiss slightly, pushing her body to his tightly as he did. He knew without asking what this meant. She wouldn't have kissed him in front of everyone if she didn't mean it. She was his. He was hers. Nothing else at that moment mattered.

His lips brushed hers once, twice, then three more times before they broke apart, both breathing heavily. Ana smiled when she heard Happy say "about fucking time" under his breath. Juice flipped Happy off, not taking his eyes off of Ana.

"Come back to me, Juan Carlos," she said, handing him his helmet. He took it, brushing his hands against hers, his eyes still locked on her face

"Always, baby," he said, kissing her one more time, quickly. Chibs was smacking his knee and whooping as Juice passed him, with a grin on his face and a notable cockiness in his walk. He straddled his bike and kicked it on. He blew one more kiss to Ana before he followed the procession out of the lot, the feel of her lips on his still on his mind.

Ana walked with Tara, Lyla, and Gemma as they watched their men leave. Tara and Lyla both looked tearful, but Ana felt at peace. She just knew Juice would come back. Still, she was still worried, but she figured she should get used to it. Still, Gemma kissed the top of her head before saying "Let's get them all inside."

As she did, she listened as the sound of motorcycles faded away. Ana sighed as she got Opie's kids inside and locked the foor behind her. As she looked at the people who now considered her family, she felt so many emotions running through her mind. She prayed that Juice made it through all of this.

* * *

><p>Juice sat against his bike, talking to Kozic as they waited at the barn for Weston's crew to get there. Jax came over and offered them a cigarette. Kozic took one, Juice declined. Jax nodded for Kozic to leave Juice and him alone and when he left, Jax pulled Juice close to him.<p>

"Remember what I asked earlier, about Ana?" he asked Juice quietly. Juice nodded, remembering how angry he'd gotten and he hoped Jax wasn't about to suggest that bullshit again. "Remember how pissed you got?"

Juice nodded again, and Jax looked him square in the eye. "You use that shit tonight. When you see Weston's crew, you imagine them leering at Ana, and you use that rage to do some damage."

That wouldn't be a problem, Juice thought as he remembered how pissed off he'd gotten at Jax. That didn't even begin to touch the anger he felt when he thought about Weston trying to rape Ana, which was something he was sure would happen if they'd gone through with that plan. He gave another nod to Jax as he saw the headlights coming their way, and together, they joined the rest of their crew as they saw the trucks beginning to fill the area.

It was showtime.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Finally, I can quit playing the stupid will they or won't they. I hope you liked the dorm room scene, because that was a lot of fun to write. I could see it happening in my mind as I wrote it down, and let me tell you, it was one of the hottest visualizations ever. <strong>_

_**I'll update again soon, just consider the two a day make up for the week I took off for Christmas and New Year's. **_

**_And stormdec23, I'm going to use that idea later. After everything calms down a little bit. _**


	18. Chapter 18

Ana was asleep on Juice's bed when she heard someone open the door quietly. Ana grabbed her gun from the table, and sat up instantly, pointing it at whoever was coming in.

"Easy," Happy's raspy voice said in shock, turning on the light and shaking his head. He still wasn't used to Ana having a gun. "Juice asked me to check on you."

Ana groaned and put her gun back on the table. She looked at the clock, which read 4:30. Were they really just now getting back?

"Everyone okay?" she asked, drawing her knees to her chest as he sat on the bed.

"Yeah," he said, eyeing the gun curiously. "When'd you get that, anyway?"

Ana looked over at the gun and back at Happy, who didn't look too pleased about the gun being in the room. That in itself was odd, since he was the guy who did most of the killing for the group, it seemed. He even documented the kills on his skin with happy faces.

"Some time ago, Hap. What's wrong with that?" she asked, putting it away in the drawer. He shook his head and heaved a heavy sigh.

"Just seems out of character. Nice teacher girl packing heat," he said. "Just gotta get used to it, I guess. Safety on it?"

Ana nodded, then grinned when she found out what he was really doing. It wasn't that he didn't like her having the gun. He was just wanting her to be careful with it. He was showing actual concern, and he confirmed that suspicion with his next question.

"You took the safety course, right?"

Ana smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Happy. I even took the safety course. I know how to hold it and shoot it and keep it safe," she replied reassuringly. Happy's mouth curved up into a half smile, satisfied with her answer.

"Good," he said. "Juice is getting patched up, but he'll be in here later. You should probably go back to sleep."

"Patched up?" Ana said, worried. "You said everyone was okay!"

"They are. They're alive, ain't they?" Happy asked. Ana shook her head, remembering that Happy's definition of okay and hers were two very different things. "Just don't worry about it. Go back to sleep, he'll be fine."

* * *

><p>Juice winced as Tara put the last bandage on his cheek. The cut stung like hell, and his knuckles hurt even worse. Tara had already doctored those, muttering about stupid boys.<p>

He'd definitely fared off worse in the fight among the club, but he could at least say the other guy looked worse. He took Jax's advice and used his rage to his full advantage. Now he was focused on getting some sleep while he could, because they had to be at the station to see what was going to happen to Weston and Zobelle.

He smirked at the memory of seeing Polly Zobelle's face. It was still healing from Ana's assault, and she had bruising around her mouth that hadn't faded yet. He didn't know how hard Ana had hit her, but if she was still healing up from it, then Ana must have used some serious force.

Ana. He could still feel that kiss she'd given him earlier. There was something about a kiss that could change your entire outlook on life, of course if it was coming from the right girl. Ana was definitely the right girl. Even in the shitstorm that the club was facing right now, Juice was steady and on his feet, which is something that he wasn't sure he could say if Ana wasn't in the picture.

He'd sent Happy to check on her for him when they got in. Most of the kids were sleeping on the floor, and the women were either on the couches or in the dorm rooms. Juice made sure that Ana was the only one allowed in his, so he was pretty sure she was in there.

"Okay, you're done," Tara said, waving Clay forward. Juice yawned and side stepped a crow eater to go back to his room, and ran into Happy coming down the hall.

"She asleep?" Juice asked, yawning again. Happy shook his head apologetically.

"Was. I woke her up checking on her. Got a gun pointed at me for my trouble." Juice's eyes widened as Happy actually looked embarrassed. "She's not a morning person," Happy continued. "Just a heads up for the future."

Snorting a little at the image of Happy being held at gunpoint by anyone, Juice walked carefully to his room. He peeked in, and saw Ana lying there on top of the covers, with a Harley Davidson blanket wrapped around her. She was obviously trying to go back to sleep, so he opened the door as little as possible so he could walk in. He took off his kutte and his shoes, and carefully laid down next to her.

"You got hurt?" he heard her ask in the darkness of the room. Juice smiled a little and shifted where he could cuddle her from behind.

"Yeah, babe. I'm fine, though. We all are, but we still have a lot of work to do before this is over," he whispered as he laced his fingers through hers.

"Okay," she mumbled back, throwing the blanket over him as well before taking his hand again. She lightly brushed her fingers over one of the cuts on his knuckles. "Did you at least kick some ass?"

Juice grinned and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You better believe it."

After that, they got quiet, both alone in their thoughts. Juice thought about the way things were right now. While he was laying with Ana, he didn't have to worry about Zobelle or Weston or people getting raped or blown up. It was just him and her. Juan and Ana. Juice liked the way it felt.

He felt Ana's steady breaths against his arm and smiled in the darkness before falling asleep, himself. Yeah, a guy could get used to this.

* * *

><p>They both woke up a couple hours later to a pounding on the door.<p>

"Come on lovebirds, heading to the station," Jax's voice called out. Juice groaned and Ana mumbled something incoherently.

"What was that babe?" Juice asked, getting up and stretching.

"I said give me my gun and I'll make him go away," Ana moaned sleepily.

Juice laughed a little as he sat on the bed. She looked at him and her eyes widened at the cuts and bruises on his face. She sat up and touched the one by his mouth softly.

"Please tell me the other guy looks worse," she said.

Juice thought back to the night before, how the other guy's nose was broken and was missing a few teeth. He didn't remember much, just had Jax's words ringing in his head about using his rage to his advantage.

"Yeah," Juice said, pressing a kiss to her palm before standing up. He looked in a dresser for a hoodie she could wear, and then tossed it to her.

She held it up, questioningly.

"You're aware it's fucking August, right?" she asked in disbelief. He smirked and nodded.

"Yep. It gets cold in the morning on the bike," Juice replied. "You're riding with me."

After they were dressed, Juice and Ana emerged from the room into the clubhouse, where Jax, Happy, and Chibs sat drinking coffee. Ana noticed that they looked as if they hadn't slept all night, which was probably true. Chibs handed Ana a cup of hot coffee and gestured for her to sit down next to him. Juice took a cup from Half Sack, and he sat next to Jax, who filled him in on what happened while he was sleeping. Unser was on his way to the station now, to see what was going on with the Zobelles and Weston.

"You guys ready?" Opie said, tossing Juice a helmet, who then put it on Ana, making sure it would fit.

"Looks like it," Jax said. "Tara and Mom are riding there now, couldn't wait for the Sleeping Beauties over there to get up."

"Fuck you, Teller," was all Ana said before following Juice out of the clubhouse.

* * *

><p>Riding with Juice was one of the most exciting experiences of her life, and that was counting the stupid shit she did in college. She had her arms wrapped around his waist, hands under his kutte so they wouldn't get cold, as she watched the scenery fly by. Sure, it was chilly, but between the hoodie and his body heat, she stayed pretty warm the entire ride over.<p>

She was also able to cop a bit of a feel as they rode. She could tell that he'd either lost some weight since the diaper fiasco, or he'd hit the gym, because all she felt through his shirt was abs.

Juice was enjoying the feel of her arms around him as well, and he could feel her body pressed against his back as they rode together. Her hands were casually roaming his stomach, and that made it a little hard to concentrate. Happy looked back at him as they road and shook his head. Juice knew he looked like a smug little shit right now, and he didn't care.

Once they reached the station, they were greeted by the rest of the club and Tara and Gemma. All of them looked too tired to make conversation. Tig was actually asleep on the bench outside the door. Everyone just found a place to sit, or stand, and wait until there was news. Juice sat on the steps and pulled Ana gently to sit in between his legs so she'd be close by. He ran his fingers through her hair absentmindedly as she dozed off again, her head resting on the railing of the steps. Chibs sat next to him and watched the couple.

"She makes you happy?" he asked Juice softly, so he wouldn't wake up Ana. Juice just nodded, and Chibs smiled at the look on the kid's face. Juice looked at her as if he couldn't get enough of her, like she was the most important thing in the world. Chibs knew that look well, it was the one he'd give Fiona when they were younger. Juice was in love, even if he denied it. It was good to see in the hell that had happened the past few months. Everyone could use a little love.

Thirty minutes later, Unser emerged, and Juice nudged Ana awake. They walked up the stairs to see what he had to say.

"Still got nothing," Unser said. "FBI and ATF's been in with them for hours. Sorry."

Clay groaned and looked at Gemma.

"You should get back to the clubhouse," he said. "Take the girls with you."

Juice kissed Ana quickly. "See you later?" he asked.

"Yeah," Ana said, squeezing his hand as she walked away.

Ana got in the backseat of the Cutlass as Gemma took shotgun. Tara started the car and they headed back to the clubhouse.

"I'm assuming you're with Juice for real now?" Gemma asked casually. Tara looked in the rearview at Ana, wanting an answer, too.

Ana nodded.

"Yeah, I am," she said, smiling a little. "What does that mean?"

"It means that you're with Juice," Gemma said nonchalantly. "And that you take shit from no one."

"It means you're owed respect once we get to the club," Tara added on. "Let the girls do shit for you, like pour your coffee and all that."

"I don't drink coffee," Ana replied. "But I think I get the gist."

"You're not exactly an Old Lady yet, but you're getting there," Gemma continued. "The main thing is you're there for him no matter what. You're his rock, like I told you yesterday. You make sure things stay good at home while he's doing club shit."

"Is it always this bad?" Ana asked, looking out the window with worry.

"No. You just picked a weird time to show up," Tara said, with a look at Gemma. "So did I. Most of the time it's just them riding and doing runs and things like that."

The conversation ceased after that, and the women spent the rest of the ride in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the club members were at a stand off with the Mayans in front of Zobelle's store. It seemed as if Marcus was protecting his investment with Zobelle by providing an escort for their Aryan friend.<p>

Juice didn't care about any of that, though. He was dealing with the fact that Ana was probably going to end up helping bait Weston after all. He was listening in as Jax and Unser were talking. Weston was headed out of town, but was going to see his kids, first. Jax nodded the rest of the club over so they could talk as Unser walked away.

"Weston's going to be jumpy, and I can't let him get away again," Jax said. "Juice, you need to let me ask Ana if she can help."

Juice swore and put his hands behind his head. He didn't want Ana being brought into this bullshit, but he also knew Weston needed to die for what he did to Gemma. Ana was beautiful, and easily underestimated. He knew she could do it, and would if she was asked. He didn't have to like it, though,

"If she says yes, then go for it," Juice said. "Tell her to take her gun in case it goes south, though. But if she says no, then that's it. Don't push her to do it."

"I'll go with them," Opie said.

"And me," Chibs said, looking at Juice. "I'll make sure nothing happens to the girl."

Juice bit the inside of his jaw and nodded grimly. Jax touched his shoulder.

"Nothing's going to happen to her, man," he said. "I promise."

* * *

><p>Ana was putting beer cans in the trash when Opie, Jax, and Chibs walked in. Jax strode over to her with the other two on his heels, looking determined but worried.<p>

"What's up?" she asked.

"I need your help, Ana," Jax said desperately. "I have to get Weston, and I need you to help me do it."

Ana bit her lip as she mulled it over. "Juice know about this?" she asked. All three of them nodded, Chibs a bit grimly.

"He's not too happy with it," he said.

Of course he wasn't okay with it. Ana wasn't too happy about it either.

"He said to take your gun," Opie said, questioningly.

Ana patted her jeans, and they could see a bit of the gun in her pocket. This is what she was here for. Helping wherever she could, and if that meant bringing Gemma's rapist to justice, then she was all for it.

"What am I doing?"

* * *

><p>Ana, Opie, Jax, and Chibs watched as Weston and his kid walked into the tattoo shop. Opie called the owner, and then nodded, saying the plan was a go. The plan was for her to pretend to want a tattoo added on, and when it was noticed she had no real ink, Opie pulled out a fake tattoo he'd nabbed from the porn studio and told her to pull up her shirt. He then dabbed it onto her lower back, quickly.<p>

"Lead him to the bathroom," he said. "Distract him long enough for us to get there. Oh yeah, gun," he said. Ana handed it over with confusion, and he handed back a switchblade. "If he sees the gun, he's going to know something is up. Use this if he lays a hand on you before we get there."

Ana nodded as she tied up her shirt and let down her hair.

"Okay fellas, how do I look?" she asked the three guys as she stepped out.

"Young, fuckable, and barely legal," Jax said, nodding in approval. "Don't tell Juice I said that."

"Yeah, boy's got some balls now, may punch you again" Chibs said to Jax. Ana rolled her eyes with a grin as she walked across the street to the shop.

She walked in and put her hand on her hip, and pretended to look nervous as she looked at the designs on the wall.

"Help you, sweetie?" the owner said. She laughed and turned around where he could see the tattoo. This was signalling who she was.

"You think I can add on to this?" she asked with a flirtatious giggle.

"Certainly. Go to the back and wash the area, and we'll see what we can do," he said. Ana blew the owner a kiss and walked past Weston, swaying her hips as she did. She reached the bathroom and then waited. She hoped that Jax would get here in time, because Weston scared the shit out of her.

Sure enough, Weston appeared at the door.

"Nice ink," he said appreciatively, staring at her ass more than the tattoo.

"Drunken mistake," Ana said, shrugging. "Tequila and Vegas."

"Looks good, though," he said, stepping closer to her and touching it. Ana bit back the bile that rose into her throat and reached for her knife as his hands drifted to her ass.

She didn't have to wait long. The back door burst open and Opie, Jax, and Chibs burst through. Ana pushed Weston against the wall and ran behind Opie, her knees shaking now that it was over.

"Ana, split," Jax said without looking at her.

She didn't have to be told twice. She bolted out of the bathroom and ran to get in the van, trying to get the feeling of that prick's hands on her ass out of her mind. She was shaking, and she felt sobs rising in her body. She hugged herself, trying to stop the tremors racking her body, and screamed when she heard a knock at the window.

She looked up to see Jax and the others, and she hit the unlock button on the door. They all piled in, and Jax took her hand gently.

"Did he hurt you?" he asked gently. She shook her head, trying to calm down,

"No. He grabbed my ass, but that's all he did before you came in," she replied as Chibs touched her shoulder.

"I'll text Juice, tell him it's done," Opie said from behind them. "And that she's okay."

"I'm not okay," Ana snapped, then hated herself for doing it. "I..I don't know why, but I'm not okay. The last thing he did before he died was grab my ass. How am I supposed to deal with that?"

"He's gone, and he can't hurt anyone again," Jax said, driving away. "That's all I can say. How you deal with it is up to you."

* * *

><p>They arrived back to see most of the club at the bar. Ana went to Juice's room without addressing anyone else. Juice wasn't with them, which meant he was probably still at the cigar shop. She curled up on the bed and tried to make sense of what had happened.<p>

She knew they killed Weston, and that he deserved to die. She'd just never been that close to a dying man before, knowing even before he did that he was a goner. It was an eerie feeling, and it didn't help she could still feel his grimy hands on her ass.

Ana jumped up and took off the shorts. She tossed them in the trash as she headed to the shower in Juice's dorm. It didn't even help. After an hour, when most of the hot water was gone, she realized she still couldn't get the feel of Weston's hands off of her. Sighing, she turned off the shower and slipped on a maxi skirt and a black tank top. She would try to handle that shit later.

She walked back into the main room of the clubhouse to see the guys all grabbing guns.

"Juice called, said they were on the move," Lyla said, her worried eyes following Opie as he loaded one of Ana's dad's shotguns.

"Where's Tara and Gemma?" Ana asked, looking around for them.

"Went to get more supplies right before you got here," Lyla replied, distracted. Ana could tell she was scared, and tried not to let it show as Opie kissed her. Once his back was turned, however, Lyla's face went from optimistic to one of sheer worry.

Ana put her hand on Lyla's shoulder, comforting her as they watched the men leave the club, ready to settle this one and for all.

* * *

><p><em><strong>This chapter was tough to write. I don't know why, just most of my creative mojo has left, or, rather, is a few chapters ahead than where this story is now. Also, my depression decided to rear its ugly head again, and my daughter has a cold. Yay, mommyhood. Not for the faint of heart.<strong>_

_**This is actually half of what I've written today, which means today is another two chapter day. Hooray!**_

_**Also, shoutout to the lovely stormdec23, La Vik, and tumblr user whatthehelllexy. You are all awesome.**_


	19. Chapter 19

Ana had just finished helping the hangarounds and crow eaters clean up when her phone rang.

"Yeah?" she asked, knowing it was either Juice or Gemma.

"Babe," Juice said, his voice cracking. Ana could hear a lot of noise behind him, including what sounded like a wounded animal. "I need you to go to Tara's. You remember where it is?"

"Yeah. What happened, Juan? Do I need an escort or something?" Ana asked, giving the broom to a crow eater and heading to his room to grab her keys and bag.

"No, no escort. Someone kidnapped Abel. Killed Half Sack."

Ana stopped in the doorway, and leaned against the frame. Half Sack was dead? What the fuck? She didn't spend much time with him, but he was nice to her, and was loyal to the club. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair.

"Wait, you said Abel...someone kidnapped him?" Ana asked suddenly, realizing that the wounded animal sounds were actually from Jax. "Oh Jesus."

"Yeah," Juice said. "Just get to Tara's, okay? She needs a friend right now, and all that's there right now are police."

"Okay. Are...are you okay?" she asked, walking out to her car. Her entire body felt like it was on autopilot as she got behind the wheel.

"No. I don't think I am, babe," he said softly. "This shit is bad."

Ana wiped her eyes, and let out a ragged breath. "Okay. I'm headed to Tara's. Meet me there?"

"You got it," Juice said before hanging up. Ana took a few calming breaths before starting the car. She drove to Tara's, quietly crying the entire way.

* * *

><p>Tara's house was a complete wreck. She had to deal with a police officer trying to stop her from coming in until the deputy chief, Hale or whatever his name was, let her through. Ana looked around until she saw the blood stain in the kitchen. Half Sack's body was already gone, and Tara was in the living room, sobbing.<p>

"Shit, Tara," Ana said, sitting next to her, taking her hand. Tara leaned into her shoulder and sobbed uncontrollably, Ana crying along with her.

"I couldn't save him...either of them," Tara sobbed. "God, I am so sorry!"

"Hey," Ana said reassuringly. "It's okay. Abel is fine, they're going to find him. And it's not your fault that happened to Sack. There was nothing you could have done."

"Excuse me."

Ana looked up to see some chick in a suit, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Can I help you?" Ana asked, icily. "I'm kind of in the middle of something."

"I'm Agent Stahl, ATF. We need to talk to Ms. Knowles about what she saw-"

"Does it look like she's in any shape to talk to you vultures right now? Have some compassion, her kid was just kidnapped and a man died in front of her. How about trying to find the asshole that did it!" Ana retorted angrily. Agent Stahl looked as if she was going to reply, but was interrupted by Hale.

"Miss Lewis is right. Let Ms. Knowles take a breather, Stahl. When she's ready, I'll take the statement," he said firmly. "MC is starting to arrive, and we're clearing out. Ladies."

Tara composed herself as Opie and Chibs came in, half dragging Jax.

"Let go of me!" he roared, making Ana and Tara jump. He stormed to the nursery, and slammed the door so hard the windows shook. Ana touched Tara's shoulder as she let out a quiet sob, and Chibs sat down in the loveseat, processing his own loss.

"Clay's on the way," Opie said, putting his arm around Tara and the other around Ana. "Rest of em are finding out what they can about Cameron before coming back here. We need to talk about Gemma."

* * *

><p>Juice pulled up to Jax and Tara's house, reeling from what had happened. Abel was kidnapped. Sack was dead. Zobelle got away. Gemma was wanted for capital murder.<p>

Juice just sat on his bike for a moment, letting it all sink in as the others helped Jax into the house. He looked in the window and saw Ana at the sink, looking over her shoulder every other minute as she did dishes. He knew she was looking for him to walk through the door, but Juice needed a moment to regroup.

As he watched Ana doing dishes for Tara, he knew what Jax always meant by having that steady when it came to an Old Lady. Sure, Ana was still just a girlfriend for now, but she'd gone above and beyond for the club today. She was ready to be there for him, she'd definitely proven that time and again. He took a deep breath as he removed his helmet, and he walked up to the house, ready to face whatever was going on inside.

Ana looked over her shoulder to see Juice walk in. His face was so full of sadness as his eyes reached hers. She wiped her hands on her jeans as she walked over to him, and she took his hands in hers. He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers. Ana stroked the back of his neck, not saying anything. She kept hearing Gemma's words in her head. If you fall apart, so will he.

So this is what it meant to be strong for your man. This life certainly took no prisoners, and today proved it. It didn't care if you were a baby, or a man who served in Iraq. Everyone seemed to be a casuality of war around here, and Ana was now in active duty.

Juice opened his eyes and kissed Ana softly.

"Let's go," he said. "I don't care where, let's just get out of here."

Ana looked up at him and saw the circles under his eyes. He was dead on his feet, and shouldn't be in any position to drive. She still nodded, and kissed him again.

"I'll drive?" she asked. He sighed and nodded gratefully. She squeezed his hands and went to find Clay. She told him that she was taking Juice to get some sleep, and to call her cell if they got news.

"I'll do that, sweetie. Thank you, for today. You're going to be a great Old Lady," Clay replied, kissing her forehead affectionately. "Just bring him over to get his bike tomorrow-"

"Nah," Happy said, holding the keys. "I got his bike. I'll take it to the club tonight."

"Thanks, Hap," Ana said appreciatively, standing on tiptoe to kiss the killer's cheek. She grabbed her hoodie, bag, and keys, and she and Juice left without another word.

* * *

><p>Ana showed Juice into her house quietly, and locked the door as he sat on the couch. He looked around as she put her stuff away, and she hung his kutte on the hook by the door.<p>

Juice admired the way she decorated. She was another one who liked things neat. He remembered something being said about most of the artwork on her walls being her own, and he made a game of it in his mind, trying to figure out which piece was hers and which wasn't. It was harder than it looked, and he stopped completely when he saw the sketch of him at the garage on the bookcase, framed along with photos of Gemma, him, and Happy, along with a self taken picture of him and Ana. He remembered that day. It was right after she got back from Seattle, and he'd visited her after school. He looked at their smiles, and couldn't stop his from spreading on his face. She truly made him happy. Even now, when all the world was going to shit, he was at peace in her house as she messed around in her room, probably cleaning it or something. His eyes fell down to a book on her coffee table and he laughed a little as he saw the title.

"Gone with the Wind, babe?" he asked.

Ana stood in the doorway to her bedroom, already in black stretch pants and a purple tank top. Her hair was up in a pony tail and she raised an eyebrow as she looked at the book in question.

"You got a problem with that?" she asked back.

Juice shook his head. "Nah. Now I know where you got that manipulative charm from, what with the thing with Polly, then Weston today. Jax told me you were great" he said, getting up and stretching. "Am I sleeping in here?"

Ana looked taken aback, and for a brief moment, he thought he'd hurt her feelings. But then she smiled a little, and that worry faded away.

"You can sleep wherever you want," she said softly. "As long as you actually sleep. I just don't want you exhausted and trying to do club shit."

"As awesome as sleeping with you last night was," he said, looking her up and down hungrily, "I'm actually quite the gentleman. I'll stay in here tonight. I don't trust myself to sleep next to you without being turned on."

"I trust you," Ana said simply.

"You shouldn't, babes. I'm turned on enough because you look hot as hell," he said matter of factly, gesturing to her outfit. She actually blushed at that, and Juice felt a boost to his ego. He was pretty good at this flirting shit. "I'll stay here. I promise I'll sleep." He sat on the couch and began taking his boots off.

"Okay, Juan," Ana said, walking over and kissing him. She smiled against his lips as he ran a hand down her spine and ended up cupping her ass lightly. "No fondling, mister," she said against his lips, not meaning a word of it.

He kissed her again, pulling her into his lap so she'd be more comfortable. "You know you don't mean that, baby," he said huskily, trailing his fingers up her back sensually. Ana shivered as he kissed a spot just above her collarbone.

"Juice, baby, we can't-"

"We won't," Juice promised, kissing her lips again. "I'm perfectly fine with just this." He pulled away and gave her that heart melting smile of his that she loved so much. "You were so awesome today. From start to finish. And I'm really glad we figured out what we were doing. And now I want to show my intelligent, beautiful, sexy girlfriend how much I appreciate her."

Ana sighed as his kissed her neck again, and then gasped as he maneuvered her to where her back was on the couch and she was under him, and he was kissing her like she'd never been kissed before.

Kissing him was like drowning, except that instead of wanting more air, she wanted more of him. His lips were soft yet demanding on hers, and her tongue danced with his hungrily. She moaned as he placed another kiss on the same spot he'd discovered in the elevator, and she felt him smile before doing it again.

All too soon, he was pulling her up to a sitting position, and with one last, sweet kiss, he sighed.

"We really should get some sleep," he said regretfully. Ana nodded, her lips still burning with excitement and he caressed her face softly, running his thumb across her swollen mouth. She touched his hand softly and smiled.

"Sure you don't want to come with me?" she asked. He smiled and kissed her again.

"I'm good here, _nena_," he said, surprising her with his Spanish. He chuckled at her startled look. "Happy taught me the words to get into a chick's pants, but I never used them. Until now."

"To not get in my pants," she said, laughing as she stood up. She stretched and Juice's mind almost exploded as he watched the tank creep up her stomach, showing the exposed skin underneath. "Night, Juan."

"Night, Ana," he called after her, laying down where he could see into her room. She left the door open, and the bathroom light on, which was weird but not too disturbing. He'd ask about that later.

Sighing in contentment, he finally allowed himself to fall asleep.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Told you it'd be a two chapter day.<strong>_

_**We're at the end of season 2, and we're starting season 3! Hands down my favorite sons seasons, and the last season this story covers. This also means that after this story we're taking a huge step away from Juice canon, because I've got another plotline set up for him. No hanging tree, no killing Miles, so that shit won't be a problem for our beloved Juicy boy.**_


	20. Chapter 20

Ana woke up the next morning to the smell of bacon cooking and the sound of someone singing. She rubbed her forehead and tried to process what had happened the day before.

Gemma killed someone, and she was now on the run from the law. Half Sack was killed by an Irishman, the same Irishman who had kidnapped Abel. She'd brought Juice home last night, and he'd stayed on her couch.

Ana grabbed a t-shirt and threw it on over her cami before walking into the living room. She heard Marvin Gaye's "Heard It Through The Grapevine" coming out of the radio on her counter, and Juice was actually cooking breakfast and singing along to whatever was playing. He was singing softly, and was concentrating really hard on not letting the bacon burn.

"Motown, huh?" Ana asked with a smile, crossing her arms.

"Shit!" Juice said, jumping ten feet. "You were seriously out cold when I went in there to wake you up the first time. And the second. I didn't try for a third because, you know, you point guns at people who wake you up."

"Not at all people," Ana said, grabbing a cup and pouring some orange juice. "Just people who I don't want to be woken up by. What did you make?"

"Just bacon and eggs. It's all I really know how to do," Juice said, shrugging as he took the last pieces out. "And yes, to answer your first question, I do like Motown. It calms me down. Saw you had a few CDs so I popped one in while I cooked. Hope you don't mind."

Ana shook her head as she made herself a plate of food. "I don't. Anything except my paints you're free to. How'd you sleep?"

"Okay, I guess," Juice said, sitting down with his plate. "Your couch is a little uncomfortable."

Their conversation lagged as they ate. More or less, Juice ate and Ana just played with her food. Juice could tell something was bugging her. Her eyes were far away, and she looked really sad. Opie had mentioned she'd had a rough time with what happened to Weston yesterday, and he'd meant to talk to her about it, but then the shit with Abel happened.

"Babe," he said, putting down his fork and taking her hand. "What's wrong?"

"I led a guy to his death yesterday," she said, more to herself than to him. "Like, I know he wasn't innocent. I know that. But I led him to his death, and now I'm sitting here eating breakfast like a normal person who doesn't lead people to die."

"You are a normal person," Juice said. "You don't have to do that again. This is the shit I was afraid of-"

"He grabbed my ass, Juan," Ana said. "I don't know if Opie filled you in on that, but I can't stop feeling his hands fondle it. Knowing what he did to Gemma...I know that if Jax was a few minutes late, he'd done the same thing to me. Or tried to, anyway. I was armed."

Juice just watched her, not knowing what to say. Opie hadn't mentioned all that, and he'd be talking to him about it, later.

"I'm sorry babe," Juice finally said. "I'm really, really sorry this is getting you down. If I'd known it would do this to you, I wouldn't-"

"It's fine. It's my shit," Ana said, beginning to eat. "I'll work through it later. So, what's on the agenda for today?"

Juice shook his head before telling her about looking for places Cameron might have gone with Abel. He knew that Ana was going to have some problems adjusting, especially with her depression, but if she kept pushing everything aside the way she was doing, there was going to be some serious issues in the future.

* * *

><p>The next couple of days went by in a blur for Ana. She began pulling some serious weight at the office, and then when she was done there, she'd go and help Tara at her house. She'd also help Clay around his, mainly by keeping Gemma's plants watered and her birds fed. She even helped Chibs and the club plan Half Sack's funeral. She called guests, booked the funeral home, and put down the deposit on the casket.<p>

Juice stayed out with the club, looking for leads on what was happening with Cameron, but much to their dismay, they kept coming up with nothing. They found someone that Cameron sold the boat and car to, but other than that they had nothing. Zero. Squat.

Ana spent the day of Half Sack's wake at Tara's, helping around the house now that Jax was finally out of his comatose state. She felt a pang as she cleaned the carpet in the nursery, knowing that Abel was somewhere out in the world, in danger. She hoped he would be found soon, because everyone was falling apart.

"I'm done," she said to Tara, putting up the steam cleaner. "Anything else you need done?"

"No, thanks Ana," Tara said, drinking coffee and staring at the bloodstain on the floor. "You've been a big help these past couple days, and I really appreciate it."

Ana shrugged as she took a seat. "Don't mention it. I need to keep busy so I don't have to think about shit."

Tara gave Ana a strange look as she took the seat beside her. "Things like what?"

"Just shit I don't want to deal with. You don't need it on your plate," Ana replied, fiddling with her chain.

"We've cleaned this house top to bottom twice over," Tara said. "I think it's time we faced that shit."

Ana sighed, and realized Tara wasn't giving up. Like it or not, Gemma Teller had really made her impression on Jax's old lady.

"I was used for bait to get Weston out. He grabbed my ass, and I was ready to kill him, if Jax hadn't gotten there first. I've never wanted to kill anyone, not even my father," Ana said, talking fast. "I wanted my father dead, sure, but not by my hand. But Weston? I wanted to kill him. And I just don't know how to deal with that."

"You talked to Juice about this?" Tara asked quietly, taking in what Ana'd said.

Ana shook her head.

"No. He's too wrapped up in what's happened, I don't want him worrying about me. I'll figure out how to deal, I guess. But that's just what's been bugging me. First world problems compared to the shit you've been through," she said. The front door opened, then, and Jax came in, looking every bit the sad and angry father. His expression softened a little when he saw Ana and Tara at the table.

"Hey," he said to Ana, smiling a little. "Thanks for helping us out around here."

"Don't mention it," Ana mumbled, noticing how stiff Tara had gotten. "I think I need to split. Get ready for tonight. Thanks for the talk, Tara."

"Don't mention it," Tara replied softly. "See you tonight."

As Ana left, she noticed the look in Tara's eyes as she looked at Jax. She recognized the guilt in them, and realized that Tara was still blaming herself for Abel disappearing. Ana felt even more horrible for unloading her petty shit on Tara. The woman was going through hell, and Ana had a feeling things would be getting worse before they got better.

* * *

><p>Juice and Ana walked hand in hand up the steps to the funeral home. She was wearing a black blouse and skirt with the boots she normally wore when she was teaching, and he was in a black t-shirt and jeans with his kutte on.<p>

Ana didn't talk to Half Sack much, but when she did, he was kind and considerate. He'd given his life trying to save Abel, and Ana was glad to have known him. She looked at Juice and squeezed his hand. He squeezed back, smiling sadly as he kissed her cheek.

They walked into the viewing room together, and Ana felt nothing but pain as she looked at his service picture combined with a full patch kutte. She wiped a tear away as she kissed her hand and placed it on the casket.

"I'm sorry, Kip," she whispered tearfully as Juice rubbed circles on the small of her back. She looked back at him. He was looking at the casket with a look that most would say was emotionless but she knew him better. She knew Juice was torn up over it, he was just hiding it very well. "You need a minute?"

Juice just nodded, and she walked out of the room, but stayed by the doorway and watched as Juice dropped to his knees. He was praying, which shocked Ana. She couldn't hear the exact words, but they weren't in a language she understood. That was something she'd ask about later, she decided, when they weren't surrounded by death and calamity.

He rose and did a symbol of the cross before coming back to her, wiping his eyes carefully. He took her hand and stepped aside so someone else could pay their respects.

"Juice," Clay said from the entryway. Juice nodded and kissed Ana's cheek.

"I'll be back in a minute, babe," he said before going to see what Clay wanted. Ana decided to find someone else to talk to; she knew they were going to be busy for a while.

The wake was simple, but so many people had come to it. Other charters, the men Half Sack had served with, and even a few people from Charming. Jacob Hale even made an appearance, though it was obvious hell rising would have been a more welcome distraction than the wake of a SAMCRO member. Juice stood with his brothers as others came to pay their respects, and he noticed Ana helping Tara and Lyla with any comfort concerns the guests may had. She held children as their parents talked to the other adults, she fetched drinks or tissues. She offered sympathy and support. She, along with the other two, had stepped up in Gemma's absence and Juice was so proud of her.

Juice was talking to Jax and Tara about that after the wake when he heard gunfire. He hit the deck without thinking, looking around for any sign of Ana. Last he saw, she'd been talking to Lyla by the bikes. Once the gunfire stopped he looked up and looked for her in a panic. He heard screams coming from every direction, and then heard his name. And it wasn't Ana calling it, it was Opie.

Juice looked over to see Opie and Lyla holding someone who was crying out in pain. The whole world faded to black when he saw it was Ana. Her face was screwed up in pain, and he rushed over, knocking Clay and Tig out of the way to get to her.

Juice reached them and kneeled down to her level. He looked over Ana to see where she was hurt.

"Baby, where are you hurt?" he asked frantically, not seeing anything around her chest or stomach and breathing a sigh of relief..

"My leg," Ana whimpered painfully. "My thigh."

Juice looked and saw the darkness on her skirt. He pushed it up and saw a mess of blood coming from her upper thigh. Ignoring the tears in his eyes, he pressed his hands to the wound. "Chibs!" he yelled. "Tara! Someone help me!"

Ana looked up at him and brought her hand to his face, trying to calm him down without words. He pressed a kiss to her palm and kept pressure on the wound. He didn't feel any blood rushing, which he assumed was good, unless a bullet was in her leg. He knew Ana was in pain, and he tried not to move so he wouldn't cause her any more pain.

"Juan, calm down," she said, trying to calm down. "You're shaking, and it's not really helping me. I think I'm going to be okay."

"Yeah, well I want to be sure," Juice said severely as Chibs came over.

"Ah, lass, not you too," he said desperately as he looked her over. He made Juice move his hands, so he could see what was happening. He wiped the blood away with a cloth he'd nabbed from Tara and let out a relieved sigh.

"Looks like a bad graze, sweetheart," he said as he waved a paramedic over. "You're going to be okay. There's no entry or exit wound, and that's good. They'll take you to St. Thomas and stitch you up."

Juice choked out a relieved laugh as he kissed Ana. She kissed him back as the paramedic put her on a gurney.

"Make sure he's careful, Chibs," she said firmly as they loaded her into the ambulance. Chibs blew a kiss at her as they closed the door.

"Come on lad," Chibs said angrily, going to where the rest of the club was. "Let's go see who's responsible for this shit."

Jucie nodded, anger fueling him like he'd never known before. He saw Jax pummeling one of the shooters into the ground and Juice went to join him. Chibs pulled him back as the rest of the club went to get Jax.

"She doesn't need you back in jail, kid," he said. "Be smart."

Juice nodded, still angry as the cops arrested Jax and another cop called for an ambulance for the beaten Mexican. Yeah, he'd be smart for now, but whoever did this shit was going to die.

* * *

><p>Ana winced as the doctor put the final bandage on her leg.<p>

"No driving until that heals," he said. "Do you have someone coming to get you?"

Ana didn't, but she nodded anyway. "Yeah," she said, taking the cane he offered her with a grin. "Thanks, doc."

She hobbled to the waiting area, about to call Juice when she saw him waiting there, reading a magazine. She cleared her throat and he looked up. His eyes traveled to the cane and sadness came to his eyes as he walked toward her.

"You okay baby?" he asked, hugging her carefully.

"I'm fine. I just can't drive for a while. I got something to beat up Happy with, though," she joked, nodding to the cane. He laughed a little and helped her out to where her car was waiting.

"I figured you needed a ride home," he said. "My bike's at your place and once you're settled in, I'll head back to the club."

"Okay," she replied as he handed her cane to her. He closed the passenger door and got in behind the wheel.

The drive back to her house was silent. She could feel her painkillers kicking in, and she felt really light headed.

"Babe?" she asked. He looked over at her and fought back a grin. She was definitely feeling something, he thought as he took her hand.

"Yeah, beautiful," he said, turning onto her street.

"You were praying or something...at the casket."

Juice nodded, pulling into her driveway. "Yeah. Ma was a Catholic. It just felt right. My Latin sucked, though, I couldn't remember half the words."

Ana smiled lazily as he helped her out of the car and up the steps to her house. He unlocked her door and helped her in. He took the cane from her and put it by the door with the rest of her stuff.

"I need that," she protested weakly.

"No, you don't," he said, picking her up carfully, and laughing as she smacked his arm lightly. He carried her to her room and laid her on her bed gently. He pulled her shoes off, and pulled the covers over her.

"You're sweet," she whispered softly, closing her eyes, gripping his hand in hers. "Stay, please."

"Baby, I can't," he said. "I wish I could, but-"

"Just stay until I fall asleep," she asked him. He sighed and pulled out his phone. He sent a quick text to Clay and then he laid down next to her.

"I'm here," he said, kissing her forehead. "I'm right here."

* * *

><p>Juice walked into the clubhouse an hour later. Ana had fallen asleep not even thirty minutes after he laid down with her, but he stayed to make sure she was asleep for the night. He'd even put her cane at her bedside so she could get to it in the morning before he left.<p>

"Juicy boy, how's the girl?" Chibs asked lazily, watching TV as Happy and Tig played pool.

"She needed a few stitches but she's fine. Home and asleep. Any idea when Jax is getting out?" Juice asked, sitting next to Chibs.

"Yeah. Tomorrow," Chibs replied. "Unser's dropping the obstruction charge, under these circumstances or some shit. We're going to find out about the bastards that did this in the morning."

"Good," Juice said, scowling. He could still hear Ana's screams of pain ringing in his ears. Oh, yeah, he had some nice words for the people responsible. If they couldn't find Abel, they damn sure were going to find the ones who shot up their brother's wake, and wounded women and children. And they were going to pay for it.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Okay, so, here's the new chapter. Sorry if it sucks, I've just had the crappiest weekend. I'm down with bronchitis, my daughter was sick, my teams have been losing, my depression is getting bad, and I'm moving again. I did get to watch the google hangout with Theo Rossi, and that man is adorable when he sees dogs and kids. <strong>_

_**We found out the 12/27/80 mess, I'm not a huge fan of the story behind it, but whatever. **_

_**Thanks as always to you beautiful people. You are so awesome.**_


	21. Chapter 21

Ana spent most of the day after the shooting laying in bed. Juice and Happy had stopped by long enough to move the TV into the room and to drop off junk food. Juice also got her a set of watercolors and a painting pad, for when she got bored.

"No getting up unless you absolutely have to," he said, kissing her quickly. "And call us if you need us."

"We mean it," Happy said, stealing a bag of M&Ms and pocketing them. "Anyone other than the club or Tara comes in, you shoot first and ask questions later."

"I'll remember that," Ana said sardonically. She hated being laid up, but the fact of it was that her leg burned like hell, and it was best if she stayed off of it. She took some med s after they left and drifted off into a sleep that lasted most of the day. She was awakened by her phone ringing.

"What?" she grumbled as she answered.

"Morning to you, too. Why aren't you at my garage?" Gemma's voice asked.

"Um...I'm sick," Ana said, not knowing if she should tell Gemma about the drive by. "Yeah, woke up this morning feeling like shit, so Juice is getting Piney to help out today."

"Oh," Gemma said. "Sorry to hear that sweetheart."

"How are you?" Ana asked quickly, wincing as she sat up.

"I'm good," Gemma said. "I'm at my dad's now. He's not doing too well since my mom died, but it's a safe place for now."

"Just be careful," Ana said. "We don't need you getting locked up on top of everything else."

"Yeah, I heard about the drive by," Gemma said. "So tell me, are you really sick, or did you get hit?"

Shit, Ana thought. She should have known better than to lie to Gemma. Gemma always finds out what's going on, even if she's miles away.

"Yeah, I got hit," Ana said. "Leg. Bad graze."

"I figured, you little liar," Gemma said, laughing. "Everything else okay? With Abel?"

Gemma didn't know Abel was gone, and Jax was wanting to keep it that way. Still, Ana's heart broke when she realized that she was going to have to lie to Gemma about it.

"Yeah," Ana said, forcing a smile. "Yeah, he's good. Getting big. And everyone else is okay, too. Don't worry, Tara and I are making sure they stay straight."

"Good," Gemma said, her voice breaking a little bit. "Thank you, Ana. I'll let you get back to sleep. Love you."

"Love you, too," Ana said, wiping her eyes as she hung up. She stared at the TV without seeing it, thinking about everything that was going on. Ana knew the right thing to do was to leave Charming and all the people in it, but she was in too deep now. She loved these people, she loved the club, she loved the town, and she loved Juice. She didn't know when that happened, but it did, and it was too late to leave it behind. This was her family, her home, and even if she had to take another bullet, she wasn't backing down now.

* * *

><p>Ana was asleep a few hours later when she heard a key turn in the front door lock. She grabbed her gun, just in case it was someone other than Juice coming through the door.<p>

"Baby, is that you?" she called out, cautiously.

"Yeah," he said, walking in her room. "Shit, I didn't know you were sleeping. I tried calling but you didn't answer. I was just going to crash on the couch again or something."

Ana turned the light on and, wincing, sat up so she could study his face. Why was he wanting to crash here, and not at his place or the clubhouse. He leaned against the doorway, trying to keep his emotions in check. There was pain in his eyes as he looked at her, and her heart hurt seeing it.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly.

Juice walked over and sat on her bed, taking his hand in hers. He didn't answer at first, he just looked down and lightly caressed her leg with his free hand. He looked back up at her and sighed.

"It's this shit with Abel," he said finally. "I got some information that showed us he was alive as of three days ago, but now it's risky trying to go get him, with most of us out on bail until our trial. He's in Vancouver. It's just complicated, and now we don't know where he is."

Ana shook her head. She knew there was more bugging him than that.

"There's something else, isn't there?" she asked. "Come lay down with me, and we'll talk about it."

Juice looked over at the space next to Ana and lifted an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah," Ana said. "My couch is uncomfortable anyway, remember?"

Juice took off his shirt, shoes, and socks as Ana flipped the covers down so he could get in bed with her. She moved over as he got beside her. Juice lied on his back, pulled Ana to his chest, and sighed.

"Now this is something I could get used to," he murmured as he stroked her hair. He loved the normalcy of the whole thing, being in a house, holding his girl while they fell asleep. Yeah, this was definitely something he wanted.

"Don't change the subject," Ana said quietly. "What's really got you so upset?"

Juice sighed then propped on his elbow so he could look at her.

"Do you regret being with me?"

"Wow," Ana said. "That's out of left field."

"Ana, I'm serious," he said. It had been on his mind all day. What with Donna dying, the bomb, the guys going to jail, Abel being kidnapped, Gemma being raped, Half Sack being killed, and with her being shot, Juice was starting to worry that Ana would have had enough of Charming and would want to split. He was selfless enough to let her go if she wanted to, but probably selfish enough to follow her if she did. "So much shit has happened, and I've been worrying that one day, it might be too much for you. You don't have anyone holding you back here, like Tara-"

"I have you here," Ana interrupted him. "And I don't regret a single thing when it comes to me and you."

"You mean it?" he asked, stroking her side softly, taking in what she was wearing. A thin purple camisole and black silk sleep shorts was all she seemed to have on, and he winced at the white bandage covering her upper thigh.

"I promise, Juan Carlos," she replied, her eyes drifting shut. "Now let's go to sleep, okay?"

"Okay," he said, easing back on his back and letting her lie on his chest. He stayed awake long after she was asleep, because his mind wouldn't shut up. Juice had something else on his mind, too, something he wanted to ask her but he knew he wasn't ready for. She probably wasn't either.

The shit with Abel had him really thinking about a future. How he would feel if it was his kid who'd been kidnapped. Which had him thinking about whether or not he wanted kids. Ever since he'd met her, he'd been thinking about a lot of things that he didn't know if he wanted or not. A wife, a kid, a family. Not just the family he had with the MC, but the family he could come home to when the club shit got to be too much.

He wanted all of that, but only if it was going to be with her.

* * *

><p>The next two weeks went by, and they still had no clue about Abel. Juice found out that Cameron was dead in Belfast, and Abel still was no where to be found. Jimmy O'Phelan was saying Abel wasn't there. Jax wasn't buying it, and neither was Juice, but there was nothing they could do to find out otherwise. So, even though there was a bail hearing coming up, it looked like they were headed to Canada. All Juice had to do was tell Ana. She was back at work, going over everything that she'd missed. With Gemma being gone, everything at the garage went to shit, since Piney didn't really like to file paperword. She was filing some repo reports when he knocked on the office door.<p>

"Hey, beautiful," Juice said, coming in and kissing her on the cheek. "How's the leg?"

"Sore as shit," Ana said, sitting down before he could tell her to. He looked down at her shoes and shook his head, amused.

"It's definitely not because you're wearing heels," he said sarcastically.

"Heels make my ass look good," she said, signing off on a reposession in Lodi.

Juice closed his eyes and moaned. "Yeah, that they do, babes," he said dreamily as he wrapped his arms around her shoulder and nuzzled her neck. Ana sighed in contentment for a moment before remembering where they were.

"Stop," she said, looking in the garage where Jax and Clay were talking. "Why are you in here, anyway?"

Juice sighed and sat on the desk.

"I gotta go for a couple days. Going to Oregon, then heading up with Jax to Vancouver to try and find Abel," he said.

"Wait," Ana said in disbelief. "I thought you said Hayes was found dead in Belfast. Why are you headed to Canada?"

"Jimmy says Abel's not there," Juice said. he laughed at the look on Ana's face. He knew she wasn't buying that bullshit either. "Trust me, we don't believe him either but we have to make sure he's not there before we pry Jimmy for information again. He's a very dangerous dude."

"Ah," Ana said. " Well, then do what you have to do, Juan. I'll be fine."

"Really?" Juice said, surprised. "No bitching me out, begging me to stay?"

"I'm only clingy on pain meds, Juice," she said, turning her attention to the invoices that had piled up. "I'm not going to demand that I come first when you've already been told that the club does. I'm not your wife."

_Not yet_, Juice thought as he trailed a finger down her neck, and grazing the upper swell of her breast. Ana's eyes closed for a brief moment before knocking his hand away.

"If you're going to get handsy, do it when the blinds are closed," she said, then realized her mistake when he laughed and hopped off the desk. He closed the blinds and locked the door before he drew her close to him.

"One of these days," he said, running his hands down to her ass and pressing her body tightly to his, "you're going to realize that you shouldn't say things like that around me."

Ana rolled her eyes but smiled as he brought his lips to hers, and moaned as he kissed her heatedly, his hands firmly grasping her ass. Ana wrapped her arms around Juice's neck, stroking the spot where his mohawk ended. Juice groaned and sat on the couch, bringing Ana down with him where she was straddling his lap. He cursed her for wearing jeans today, because if she was wearing a skirt, this would have been so over from the moment the blinds were closed.

"God, I want you," she moaned as his lips trailed kisses down her chest. His hands were on her breasts now, squeezing slightly so Juice could kiss the swells that showed above her shirt.

"Now?" he asked, looking up at her with a devilish grin as he let one hand trail down her uninjured leg. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" she asked breathlessly as he placed another kiss on her collarbone.

"Because," he said between kisses. "They may not see us," another kiss on her lips this time, "but they will definitely hear us."

That sobered Ana up quickly, and she got off of Juice's lap, adjusting her shirt and fixing him with a pointed stare.

"You're that self confident, huh?" she asked.

Juice shook his head, still trying to get his dick under control. "Nah, it's a long story but this room isn't sound proofed at all. I didn't mean we'd be loud although," he said, giving her a sexy grin, "I'm pretty sure we would be."

Ana rolled her eyes again as he kissed her sweetly.

"I'll be back in a few days, okay? And Tara should be back later tonight," he said, adjusting her shirt where a mark he'd left couldn't be seen.

"Be careful, baby," she said. "I'm serious, I don't want you in the hospital again."

"I will," Juice said. "You be careful, too."

* * *

><p>Ana was in the garage late that night when she saw Tara's Cutlass pull in. She sighed happily, hoping to spend the night at her place tonight. Her leg was killing her, and she shouldn't have been driving to begin with. She also really didn't want to be alone, and Juice's cologne was still on her pillows where he slept there the night before. She shut out the light and walked out to greet Tara.<p>

However, it wasn't Tara who got out. It was Gemma.

"Oh, shit," Ana said, walking as fast as her injured leg would take her, trying to catch her before she went in the clubhouse. Ana was too late, and Gemma came out, frantic. She spotted Ana and headed her way.

"Where's Abel?" Gemma asked, panicked. Ana froze, and knew now the truth was going to have to come out, and she was going to be the one to have to tell her. Ana hoped Gemma wasn't carrying a gun, because she knew once Gemma found out, Gemma really would kill someone.

"Gemma, calm down, okay?" Ana said, trying to console her. "Let's go wait for Jax-"

"I want to see my grandson!" Gemma yelled tearfully as her phone rang. She answered it as motorcycles pulled into the lot. She saw Tara and Jax hop off of one, but before she could call them over, Gemma began to collapse.

"Gemma...GEMMA!" Ana yelled, catching her before she hit her head. Gemma was having a hard time breathing, and her eyes were filled with tears. "Come on, Gemma, breathe!"

"Mom!" Jax yelled, rushing over. Juice pulled Ana up and held her as Jax and Tara looked over her, trying to find out what was wrong.

"She just showed up, asking for Abel," Ana said to Juice. Tara called for an ambulance and Jax looked up at Ana. "Someone called her phone before I could say anything. I don't know who, but she collapsed."

Sirens wailed and Juice squeezed Ana's hand as an ambulance pulled in. She didn't know what was going to happen now that Gemma knew what was going on, but she knew one thing was for sure. Once Gemma pulled through this, there was going to be a storm brewing in Charming, and no one had their umbrellas.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Okay so this was short and sweet and I am so sorry. But get this, I'm going to be moving soon. I'm hoping to finish part one of this story before then. If not then know that I will update asap. <strong>_

**_As always thanks to you beautful reviewers, both here and on Tumblr. You're all amazing and awesome and all good things. _**


	22. Chapter 22

_**Before we start, we got some smut going on in this chapter. It's toward the end, though, so be patient. Also, I'm not good at writing smut scenes so I hope it's okay enough for you guys.**_

* * *

><p>Ana limped into the secure area of the hospital where Gemma was being held for observation. After being frisked, she walked in, not knowing what to expect when she got there. She knew Gemma was going to be pissed, and she was going to want answers. Some of those answers, not even Ana knew, but since she'd lied to Gemma as well, she knew she had a spot on the woman's shit list.<p>

"Hey," Ana said tentatively, putting her hands in her pockets and doing her best to look ashamed.

"Hey," Gemma said, gesturing for Ana to sit down. Ana did, risking a look at Gemma. She didn't look too angry, but with Gemma you never knew if that was a good thing or not. "So, you knew about Abel, too."

"Yes, ma'am," Ana said meekly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Gemma snorted. "You know, I get it, I suppose. You guys were trying to get me out of dodge, and you knew I wouldn't do that if I knew my grandson was missing."

Ana looked up in surprise. This wasn't what she'd been expecting at all.

"You're not mad at me?" she asked.

"Oh, I am," Gemma said. "I'm pissed at everyone, but my heart has decided to protest every time I make a fuss, so I'm doing things its way. So I'll talk about happier subjects, like the romance novel that is you and Juan Carlos. How are things?"

"Okay. He's..."Ana felt the smile creeping on her face. "Gemma, he's amazing. He was an amazing friend, and he's an amazing boyfriend, too. He literally carried me into my bedroom the night I was shot. He drops off things for me at the office, like candy or lunch, one time he even snuck in a damn pint of ice cream simply because he overheard me talking to a customer about how I could use some at the moment."

Gemma laughed a little. "I knew that little asshole was a romantic sweetheart inside," she said. "Have you two fucked yet?"

Ana shook her head. "We've gotten close a lot, but we don't go all the way. Taking things slow seems to be the way we want to do this," she replied.

"Juice being a gentleman. Well, he's definitely the one in the club most likely to be that way," Gemma said, her expression thoughtful. "I see you're beginning to dress more like an Old Lady now."

It was true. Ana had redone her entire wardrobe, mainly in protest of the town's chill toward the club. Where she once had bright sweaters and blouses and skirts, she now had dark washed jeans, some of them distressed. Black and red tops, a leather jacket, and two new pair of boots. She was wearing a black top with lacy cap sleeves and blue jeans with a pair of the new boots now, and she could tell Gemma definitely approved.

"I figured people take me more seriously when I'm dressed like I could kill someone, and not like I'm a teacher," Ana said, shrugging her shoulders. "They already know I'm deep in the club now, anyway, why not dress the part?"

"You look good," Gemma said. "And you've got the right attitude. People do need to take you seriously. There is a man who would kill for you, and you need to let people know that."

A knock at the door interrupted them, and Ana looked up to see that stupid ATF bitch again. Stahl or whatever her name was.

"God, you just won't go away," Ana said haughtily.

"Nice to see you, too, Miss Lewis," Stahl said with a smirk. "Need a word with Gemma, if you don't mind."

"And if I do?" Ana snapped. She didn't like this woman. She'd framed Gemma, gotten Donna killed, and pretty much caused misery wherever she went.

"Go on, Ana," Gemma said. "Not much else she can do to me."

Ana rolled her eyes but pushed past the agent, making sure to slam the door on the way out. She looked at the time and sighed. It was time for her to go relieve Chucky at the garage. She began to head out, but then saw Piney at the snack machine. It wasn't often he was here, so she decided to see why.

"Hey," Ana said curiously as she approached him. "Everything okay?"

Piney chortled, amused for some reason. "Didn't know you were here, hon."

"Yeah, I was visiting Gemma until the bitch ran me out. Stahl, not Gemma," Ana replied. "So, what's up?"

Piney tok a seat with a shit eating grin on his face. "Oh, nothing much. Your old man is getting patched up back there, had a run in with another MC."

Ana narrowed her eyes in disbelief. She told Juice she didn't want him back in the hospital. With Gemma being here already, the fucking MC might as well have their own private building.

"Where is he?" she asked in a low, dangerous voice.

* * *

><p>Juice felt like an idiot. All he was going to do was sell the Chicken Man the ADD meds, and the next thing he knew, he was getting jumped in a van by Hector Salazar and his guys. To make matters worse, they took his kutte, which was the worst thing that could happen to him. He really didn't think this day could get any worse.<p>

Piney came into the hospital room, with an amused look on his face.

"What?" Clay asked as Juice sat with Tara, getting patched up.

"Did you know Ana was visiting Gemma?" Piney asked Clay, and Juice swore. This day could get worse, and he had a feeling it was about to in about thirty seconds.

"Fucking great," he said. Ana had casually reminded him that if he ended back in the hospital, she was going to raise hell.

"Yeah, it is," Piney chuckled. "She spotted me and asked me what was up. I'm pretty sure she'll be coming in here right about...now."

As if on cue, the door flew open and Ana stormed into the hospital room, cussing up a storm.

"Juan Carlos Ortiz, they may as well set up a fucking wing for you and your damn MC affiliates!" she raged as Juice looked helplessly at those around him, silently begging for help. Clay was watching Ana with a look of amused disbelief, and Piney was guffawing. No help for him today.

"Babe," he said, but ducked as she threw a box of gloves at him.

"Babe babe babe, I'm not a fucking pig," she said. "What happened this time?"

"Ana, sweetheart, calm down, the boy's embarassed enough," Piney said, chuckling.

Clay shook his head but was smiling, too.

"Fuck that, give him hell, Ana," he said.

"Babe, I'm sorry. I was doing club business and the damn Calaveras got me good. They took my kutte-"

But whatever he thought Ana wanted to hear, he knew by the look on her face that it wasn't that. She got real quiet and her eyes narrowed.

"I'm sorry, I think I'm deaf. Did he just say they took his kutte?" Ana asked Clay.

He nodded.

She glared at Juice. She knew that kutte was the pride of every member, and to have it taken was the ultimate embarrasment.

"You better get that shit back," she finally said. "And you damn well better make them pay for it, or this pussy is going to be locked down before you even get a chance to enjoy it!"

She slammed the door as she left, still cussing in a misxture of Spanish and English. Piney coughed out a laugh and Clay shook his head again.

"You two still haven't fucked?"

Juice shook his head. He didn't know what brought that rant on, but he knew Ana had just unloaded a lot of stress, most of which wasn't even his fault. Still, he knew he had some making up to do with her. He certainly hoped she felt better now.

" God, you're a bigger idiot than I thought," Clay said, clapping Juice on the back and bringing him back to reality. "Come on, we got work to do."

* * *

><p>Ana was back home that night, still upset. She didn't know why what happened to Juice made her so mad. She stood in the shower as the hot water fell over her body and eased her sore muscles, and tried to think of what else was upsetting her.<p>

There was a lot. She was still coping with the Weston bullshit, and Half Sack dying. Juice being in a position where it was likely he wouldn't come home. Gemma facing the damn death penalty for something she didn't do. Abel was still missing, and now it was confirmed he was in Ireland, which meant things with Jimmy was about to get really messy.

Ana loved this club, she loved the people in it, but she did not love the tidal wave of fuckery that seemed to be happening all the damn time. She knew that the guys would be headed to prison soon, was it too much to ask for a little bit of peace before that happened?

She sighed and turned off the water. She grabbed her robe and stepped out of the shoulder, pulling it on. She locked her front door, not really expecting Juice to show up tonight. She sat down at her easel, where she had a new sketch ready to be painted. It was an ocean scene, but instead of seagulls on the beach, it was a crow and a dove. She wasn't sure what drove her to draw them, but she did, and the effect was pretty.

Smiling, she dipped her paintbrush into paint and began to work, oblivious to everything else around her.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Juice wasn't going to try to stay at her house tonight, but he was there. He was sitting in his car, something he hadn't drove in a while, and he was watching her paint through the window. The smile on her face as she painted had Juice captivated. He could tell she was at peace in her element, and she was completely relaxed.<p>

He hated that she was being brought down by the weight of the club's problems. She wasn't even his Old Lady, not officially anyway, yet she was stepping up by helping them whenever and however she could, and although she said she was okay, Juice could see the way it was wearing her down.

As he drove away, he called Clay.

"Hey," he said. "I need a favor."

* * *

><p>Juice walked into the office later the next day and sat on the couch in front of the desk where Ana was working. She looked up at him and kept working, ignoring his presence. He knew she was still pissed, and Jax had come up with the perfect way to earn her forgiveness. It wasn't something the club usually allowed, but given everything Ana had done for them so far, they were willing to let this happen.<p>

"Hey, Jax wants you to come with us," he said, finally.

Ana raised an eyebrow. "I'm busy here."

He gave that grin she loved so much, and she rolled her eyes but gave a small smile of her own despite her anger at him. He got up, took the papers out of her hand, and sat on the desk in front of her. He then took her hands where she couldn't walk away. Ana sighed and looked at him.

"What is is?" she asked, irritated.

"You just really need to come, okay? I promise you'll end up forgiving me," he said, resting his forehead on hers.

"What am I seeing, Juan?" she asked, pulling back.

He smirked.

"Me getting my damn kutte back."

* * *

><p>Juice and Chibs helped Ana down the hill to meet up with the Mayans and Calaveras. Juice had murder in his eyes as he spotted the Calaveras. Ana followed his gaze and saw a man who looked more roughed up than Juice did.<p>

"You do that?" she asked him.

He shook his head.

"Nope. But I'll be adding to it."

He nudged Ana to Happy and took his place beside Clay, bouncing on his feet as the two Presidents talked.

Finally, Marcus tossed Juice his cut, and Jax grabbed Salazar. He threw him to the ground at Juice's feet.

"He had your girl there shot and your cut stolen," Jax said angrily. "You better make this fucking right, brother."

Juice smirked.

"Oh, yeah."

Ana watched with awe as Juice commenced to beating the shit out of the cocky asshole. So this was the motherfucker who shot up Half Sack's wake. She almost wished she could get a hit in for her leg, but she knew Juice would take care of that, too.

Watching him beat this guy was a serious turn on. He looked up at her and shook his head.

"And this is for my girl," he spat at Salazar, kicking him across the face.

Oh yeah, Ana thought, biting her lip. He was definitely forgiven. And she was so getting laid.

* * *

><p>Ana climbed onto the back of Juice's motorcycle and waited until he got on to say something.<p>

"We need to go to my house," she said before he started the bike.

"What? Why?" he asked, turning back to look at her, confused.

"Because," Ana said, smiling slowly. "I forgive you, and we need to go to my place."

Juice looked confused for a moment before something clicked in his brain. "Oh...OH," he said, his eyes widening and then he grinned. "Really?"

"Let's go," she said, wrapping her arms around his torso as he started his bike eagerly.

"You better hold on," he yelled over the engine. "Because I don't plan on doing the speed limit.

* * *

><p>(<em><strong>SMUT ALERT SMUT ALERT SMUT ALERT)<strong>_

Once in her house, Juice closed the door and pressed Ana against it, kissing her passionately. He tore the buttons off of her shirt as he ripped it open and he began placing kisses over every inch of exposed skin.

"God, Juan, that feels so good," she moaned as he kissed the skin above her jeans. He kissed his way back up to her mouth, and then pulled away.

"You sure about this, babe?" he asked. "We don't have to-"

"Oh, yes we do," she replied, pulling his mouth back to hers. She'd needed this for too damn long. She appreciated him being a gentleman, but she was tired of it. She wanted him inside her, and she wanted it now.

She pushed his kutte off his shoulders and he pulled away long enough for her to pull his shirt over his head. Juice groaned as he felt her bare flesh touch his, and he hoisted her up where she could wrap her legs around his waist. His dick was already hard and pressing against his jeans uncomfortably, and he couldn't wait to see where this night would go.

"Bed, floor, couch, or table, and make it quick," he said huskily, kissing that sweet spot on her neck that drove her nuts.

"Fuck, Juice, bed," she panted, her nails digging in his shoulders as he carried her in there. He lightly pushed her onto the matress and pushed what was left of her shirt off of her shoulders.

She was fucking gorgeous, as he'd always pictured. Her purple lace bra had her breasts pushed up in beautiful swells that he couldn't wait to taste. He placed his hands at the button of her jeans and looked at her face. She nodded with a smile, and he slowly eased her jeans off of her. He could see the butterfly bandages on the leg that was shot, and he winced, knowing it was the because of the life he led. He dropped to his knees and placed soft kisses over the wound. He then kissed his way up her sides, which made her gasp and moan his name, and he grinned as he reached her mouth.

"Juan, please," she whispered, looking into his eyes. "We need this."

Fuck yeah they did, he thought, pulling her up to him and kissing her deeply as he unhooked her bra.

"We do," he said huskily. "But I don't have anywhere I need to be tonight except right here. And we've got a lot to make up for, baby girl."

Ana moaned as he took a nipple into his mouth, sucking it softly and and swirling his tongue around the tip of it sensually. She pushed her hips against his, trying to find some relief, but none came.

"Baby, please," she whimpered. "I need you."

Juice looked up at her with lust filled eyes.

"Say it again," he replied, slipping his hand into her panties and feeling how wet she was. She gasped when he stroked her clit softly.

"I...need...you," she choked out as he continued his ministrations.

"You've got me, Ana," he said, kissing his way down her body. "Every...single...part of me."

Juice looked at her panties, and with a grin, tore through the lacy hips and literally ripped them off of her.

"I liked those," she pouted and Juice laughed.

"You'll like this more, and I'll buy you some more underwear. You look good in purple," he said, right before he grabbed her hips to bring her closer. Juice put her knees over his shoulders and lowered his face in her pussy. He massaged his tongue over her clit, short, agonizing strokes until she twisted and turned.

"Dammit, Juice," she moaned as he continued to lick every bit of her. This man was going to be the death of her. She tried to push him away, or bring him closer. Ana just moaned as he continued his very thorough exploration of her pussy. His toungue dipped inside as he thumbed her clit again, and she bit back a scream when his tongue pressed against her G-spot.

"Fuck, Juice," she hissed between her teeth.

"Kinda the point, babe," he said before going back to her clit.

Smug little shit, she thought as she felt her body stirring with a familiar fire that she hadn't felt in so long.

"Juice, please, I'm-" she finally gasped loudly as her orgasm hit her like a tidal wave.

This was different. She hadn't had this with Gavin, or with Casey, and neither of them exactly sucked in bed. But if Juice could do this with his tongue, she was a little afraid of what he could do with his dick. This was fucking amazing.

Juice moved from his position in between her legs and was blown away by the sight of her.

God, she was fucking beautiful when she was coming. Ana's face was thrown back in ecstacy. Her face was flushed and her eyes were on fire with lust and desire. Her hair was sweaty and sticking to her forehead, definitely no longer straight like it was this morning. Talk about sexy? This girl fucking defined the word, he thought. And she was his, and that made him proud as hell.

His cock was now straining against his jeans so he stood to take off the rest of his clothes. The sooner they were gone, the sooner he could make that look return to her face again.

Ana bit her lip as she saw his cock for the first time. It was thick and hard, and, Ana thought smugly as she looked up at his face, all hers.

She got on her knees and licked a line from his belly to his chest, making him inhale sharply. She trailed her tongue across the tattoo under his pec and then looked up at him. "One day I'm going to want to know what that says," she whispered.

"One day I'll probably tell you," he said lowly. The look in his eyes excited her even more. It was lusty, dark, and a little dangerous.

Juice groaned when her lips kissed the tip and then he hissed when she began taking him into her mouth. "Fuck, Ana," he groaned.

Ana smirked as her mouth worked him. The sounds he was making, the groaning, panting, and hissing were turning her on all over again. She took as much as she could in her mouth without gagging, and was rewarded with a "Shit, Ana!" and his hands fisting in her hair.

He'd received blow jobs before, but none of them could touch what Ana was doing right now. Her tongue was making lazy circles around his length, and he felt himself approaching the edge quickly. He pulled out of her mouth, trying to collect himself before he went over that edge.

Ana leaned back on the bed as Juice reached in his jeans to get a condom. He ripped open the packet and put it on quickly before getting in between her legs.

"You sure, baby?" he asked, stroking her face. She nodded, closing her eyes, and Juice pushed into her slowly.

Ana moaned and arched her back as he filled her. She felt Juice shiver above her and knew he was getting used to the feeling as well. He pushed in deeper and Ana moaned again.

"You feel so good, Ana," he whispered, as she wrapped her legs around him. He began a steady rythm, slow and gentle, taking his time. "So fucking good."

"You do, too, baby," she moaned, arching her back so he could go deeper. Her nails dug crescents into his back, and Juice buried his face in her neck, his tongue making circles along the sensitive spot there.

"Harder, baby," Ana moaned as he pushed in even deeper. Juice nipped her neck as he did what she said, and was rewarded when he heard her moan his name again.

"You like this?" he asked with a grin, looking at her. Her eyes were half closed as she nodded with a smile of her own.

"Like's not a strong enough word, oh shit," Ana gasped, arching her back again. "I'm so close, Juan."

"Say it again," he said, increasing the tempo of his thrusts. "My name, say it again."

"Juan, baby, please don't stop," she cried out. She screamed and he nearly combusted when he felt her clench against him. She moaned incoherantly and dug her nails into his arms when she came, and Juice soon found his own orgasm coming forward.

They both laid in that position, catching their breaths. Juice pulled out of her and threw the used condom toward the wastebasket by her bed. He then fell back on the pillows, exhausted and satisfied.

"Jesus," Ana said as Juice pulled her over. "That was incredible."

"Mhm," Juice just said, stroking her naked back as she rubbed the tattoo under his pec. "Hey, Ana?"

"Yeah?" she asked, her fingers still tracing patterns along his torso.

"I love you," he said softly. Her fingers stopped, and he looked to see her looking at him in disbelief.

"What?" she asked, even though she'd heard him clearly.

"I love you," he said, propping his head on his hand and using his other hand to touch her face. "And that's not just the sex talking. I'm in love with you, and I think I have been since you came back from Seattle. When you were gone, all I could think about was you, and when I saw you were back, I was happy as shit. When you lost your job, all I wanted to do was hold you and tell you it was going to be okay. You've had me captivated from day one. And I can't stop loving you even if I wanted to."

Ana smiled and kissed him sweetly.

"I love you too," she said. "Really and truly."

Juice pulled her closer and kissed her again. They made love a second time, slower and sweeter than the first time, and they fell asleep in each others arms, not caring about what the world outside held for them.

* * *

><p><strong><em>There you go, stormdec23. Sexy time for Ana and Juice, and they told each other "I love you".<em>**

**_So the Ireland trip is coming next and things are going to get a little hairy. I'm hoping to end this story sometime next week so I can get started on part two, because that's going to be when things take a huge dive from canon Juice, because canon Juice after season 3 is sad, and sad Juice is the worst Juice. _**

**_So I hope everyone liked this. I had fun writing it. _**

**_Til next time, lovelies._**


	23. Chapter 23

Juice strutted into the clubhouse the next morning with a goofy grin on his face. He wouldn't have been there earlier, but he and Ana got caught up in the shower, so he was a little late. He didn't care, a few minutes with her was worth the ass chewing he was due to get from Clay.

"Where you been, shithead?" Clay asked from the bar, with a cigar in his mouth. Juice shrugged and grabbed a water from behind the bar. Let them make their own assumptions, he figured.

"Given the marks on his neck, I'm going to say he slept in," Bobby said, pushing back the cut to reveal a dark hickey. "I'm betting when we see Ana, she'll have marks too?"

"None of your business, boys," Juice said, still grinning and knocking Bobby's hand away as Chibs stolled in, yawning.

"What the fuck you grinning about, boy?" Chibs asked.

"He got laid," Bobby said. Chibs looked at Juice's neck and guffawed as he punched his shoulder.

"About time, brother."

"Alright, enough of this shit. Loverboy, go find Opie and Jax. We're about to be at the table," Clay grumbled, getting up and headed to the chapel. Juice smiled again and headed toward Jax's room, where he heard Opie and Jax bitching about women. He knocked to get their attention.

Opie and Jax looked back at him and Opie quirked his eyebrow. His eyes drifted to Juice's neck, then he rolled his eyes.

"Dude, lose the grin, I just got slapped in the face and Jax just got caught with Ima," he said.

Juice chuckled.

"Not a chance, I had a damn good night," he said. "Sorry you guys didn't, though."

"Yeah yeah, what's up?" Jax asked.

"Oh, we're at the table. Clay sent me."

Jax put his shirt and kutte on and glared at Juice, who was displaying the marks on his neck with a smug ass grin.

"At least one of us had a good ride last night," he said. "Let's go find my kid, we can talk about what we're doing with our dicks when we get back."

* * *

><p>Ana walked up to the office as the boys were exiting the clubhouse. Juice ran over as she was unlocking the door.<p>

"Hey, babes," he said, walking in with her. She dropped her keys on the desk and sighed as she saw the paperwork waiting for her.

"Can't I just have one easy day?" she asked him, gesturing to the papers on the table. Juice laughed and kissed her cheek tenderly. He looked at her neck and grinned. There were marks on her neck too, more obvious than his.

"Guys had my ass about my neck," he said. "They see yours, they'll know what happened."

"I don't care. We're adults, we're in love, we fucked. It's kind of how that thing works," Ana said, shrugging. She laughed as Juice wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck. "So what's up?"

"Oh, yeah," Juice said, sitting down. "Well, we have to go to Belfast."

"Naturally," Ana said, hopping on the desk and crossing her legs. "And I'm assuming I'm not invited on this excursion?"

Juice grinned at her tone. "Nah, babes. Where we're going ain't a vacation spot. There's a risk of people getting blown up every day, and I'm not ready to bring you into that."

"Yeah, sounds like a good honeymoon, though," Ana said. "So when you leaving?"

Juice fell silent. He bit his lip and looked up at Ana who sighed.

"Today," she said, and he nodded.

"Leaving this evening," he said. "Probably be gone a week."

Ana nodded again, then smiled.

"Bring me back something nice, then," she said, kissing him. "Preferably you. Alive."

"Okay," he said, kissing her back. "I'll be by later to say goodbye, okay?"

Ana nodded and waited before he left to let the smile slide off her face. Ireland was no joke, she'd heard her dad talk about it when he was alive. Not to her, but to his Irish drinking buddies. The Real IRA were always fighting, and things were always blowing up in people's faces...literally. She put on a brave face for Juice, and pretended to be strong for him, but she was scared to death. She sent a quick prayer up, asking for God to keep all of them safe, especially the man she loved.

* * *

><p>Ana's phone rang when she pulled up to the hospital. The caller ID said it was Tara, so she picked up.<p>

"Yeah?" Ana said, curiously.

"It's Gemma. Find Tara's car and get in it. Tig will explain everything, okay?"

Ana stared at the phone after Gemma hung up in shock. What the hell was going on?

Ana got out of her car and walked around as she looked for the Cutlass. She spotted it around the back, and got into the passenger seat to wait.

Tig got in a few minutes later and turned the engine, cussing about women in general.

"What's happening?" Ana asked hesitantly. She didn't like Tig much, nor he her. He scared the shit out of her sometimes, and Tig thought she was a little too smart for her own good/

"Gemma going to Ireland. You're taking the Cutlass back, I guess," Tig said shortly. They both heard sirens wailing behind them.

"Shit!" Tig said. He looked like he was debating something for a brief moment, then he pulled over. He got out, and Ana followed him, wondering what the fuck was happening now.

"Unser must have called this in," he said to Clay. "They'll be looking for the truck, so I'll take the truck and you guys go on ahead. I'll lead them up 18 while you guys backtrack through town to Oswald's."

"We need you with us, bro!" Jax said in disbelief.

"You need your mom more. Go!" Tig said. Ana got into the back of the Cutlass, and took the bag Jax handed her. Gemma got in beside her and Jax got behind the wheel, and Clay in the passenger seat. Jax punched the gas and they took off through town.

"Well, Juice is going to be pissed," Ana said, more to herself than to any of them.

"You can say goodbye at the hangar," Clay said. "He'll understand."

"Don't let my garage go to shit while I'm away," Gemma said, taking Ana's hand. "And keep the guys in line. Stay safe."

"You all stay safe, too," Ana said. "You're my family, the only family I got. I can't lose any of you."

Gemma squeezed her hand softly. She knew how much that took for Ana to say, and she felt the same way. Ana was like another daughter to her, and she wanted her to be happy.

"That means a lot, Ana," Jax said, concentrating on driving. "You take care of yourself, okay? We'll watch out for Juice."

The rest of the ride was silent, as they focused on the trip that was to come.

* * *

><p>Ana hopped out of the Cutlass with Gemma and Jax when they pulled into the hangar. The rest of the guys looked shocked to see Ana and Gemma.<p>

"Ana, what are you doing here?" Bobby asked in disbelief. "Go grab Juice," he said to Opie.

"Someone's got to drive the Cutlass back," Ana said, taking the keys from Jax. He kissed her cheek as he passed her by.

"Thanks, darlin," he said. "I meant it. Take care of yourself."

"I will. Keep your promise, too," she told him. He nodded and moved so Gemma could hug Ana.

"You take care, okay?" she said. "You and Tara keep the rest of them in line, I mean it."

"You got it, Gem," Ana said, handing her her bag. "You take care, too, and-"

"I know, baby," Gemma said. "He won't get hurt."

Juice came running behind Opie then, and Ana flung her arms around his neck tightly.

"Baby, what are you doing here?" he asked. "I went by your house and you won't there-"

Ana stopped him with a quick kiss. He returned it, then pulled back, confused.

"Long story, Gemma will fill you in. You take care over there, okay?" she asked, looking in his eyes. "I mean it. No getting blown up or any of that. You come back to me."

"Always, Ana," he said, kissing her deeply. "I love you, baby."

"I love you, too, Juan," she whispered, and he squeezed her tightly once more before letting her go.

"Come on loverboy, time to go," Chibs said. He blew a kiss at Ana as he patted Juice's shoulder.

"You take care of him," Ana said to Happy and Chibs, fighting back the tears as they walked to the plane.

"Always, love," Chibs said as Happy hugged her. With one more kiss from Juice, they were walking away from Ana, who stood with Piney and the prospects, fighting the tears as she watched them get on the plane.

"It's going to be okay, sweetheart," Piney said to her, putting his arm around her shoulder. "They'll be back soon."

* * *

><p>Juice sat in the plane between Gemma and Opie. She let him know how Ana helped her get there, and that they made a promise to keep him whole. After that, the ride was quiet, and Juice was lost in his thoughts of Ana.<p>

He'd looked back at her right before he got on the plane, and although she was smiling, he could tell she was scared. She had every right to be, Ireland was pretty to the tourists, but it had a dark and deadly side as well, and that was where they were headed. Juice had his doubts about the Belfast charter, and he knew Jax shared those doubts as well.

No matter how dangerous it was, though, they had one focus and one focus only. That was to get Abel home. He knew how important this trip was, and he was willing to risk it all to help get Jax's son home.

* * *

><p>It had been a shitty morning, but Juice was now standing outside with Happy, keeping watch for any one who wasn't supposed to be there.<p>

He'd called Ana to tell her they got there safely. She told him what had been going on stateside, about Tig's arrest and how now he and Kozic were scaring away customers with their constant bickering. She had to hang up quickly to stop one of their spats, and she hadn't called him back.

"You and Ana, then," Happy said. "Finally fucked her."

"Yeah, I guess that's out in the open," Juice said as Happy flicked his cigarette to the ground.

Happy nodded and then glared at the van coming in. "We expecting anyone else?" he asked.

Juice shook his head, and Happy drew his gun. "Go get the others."

Juice rushed into the clubhouse and let them know that they had visitors before running out and drawing his own gun. He hadn't even been in Ireland 24 hours, and he was already sick of it. Chibs and the others came behind him, and they all waited as the doors opened.

"It's my girls," Chibs said as two dark skinned women got out. Juice looked as Chibs rushed toward them, relief in his face. He then realized this had to be Chibs's wife and daughter. Fiona and Kerrianne.

Juice grinned and put his gun away as Chibs hugged his family. He may have hated Ireland right now, but he was happy to see his friend reunited with his loved ones. Even if it made him miss Ana even more.

* * *

><p>Ana closed up the garage with a sigh. Today had been rough, and Tig and Kozic's bitching made it even rougher. She was halfway regretting bailing out Tig, now, even if he was more cordial to her.<p>

The place felt empty without the rest of the guys. It was quieter, and it just didn't feel right. She got in her car and realized she hadn't called Juice back, so she pressed dial as she started her car.

"Yeah?" a sleepy voice answered.

"Shit, I'm sorry," Ana said. "You were sleeping?"

"Yeah babes," Juice said, groaning. "Don't apologize, though. What's up?"

"I was supposed to call you back, and it slipped my mind. It's been hell on Earth here today," Ana replied, driving down Main Street.

"How so?" Juice asked.

"Tig and Kozic, mainly. They bitch more than an old married couple," Ana replied, turning into her driveway. "I'm just getting home. So how was your day in the land of the Irish?"

Juice told her everything, about almost being detained, and then the thing with Fiona and Kerianne. He left out the shooting, though, he didn't want her to worry.

"I miss you, baby," Juice said. "I really wish I was there with you."

"I miss you, too," Ana replied, falling on her bed, exhausted. "I'm probably going to sleep where you usually do. Still smells like you."

"Oh, it does?" he asked, laughing. "And what's that like?"

"Leather," Ana said, inhaling his pillow. "And that cologne you wear sometimes, it has a smoky, pepper like smell. I like it."

"I think you smell better. You smell like the rain," he said, his voice far away.

"It's probably because I grew up in Seattle," she laughed, then she sighed. "I should let you get back to sleep."

Juice was quiet. He was tired, but he also loved hearing her voice.

"I really don't want to sleep," he said quietly. "Not if you're not with me."

"Just pretend I am, though," she said. "Pretend I'm in bed with you, wearing one of your T-shirts, and sleeping next to you-"

"Yeah, now I really don't want to sleep, baby," Juice said, groaning at the mental image she had given him. Her in his T-shirt, next to him, moaning as his hands trailed up her thighs...Juice bit his lip as the scene played out in his mind.

"Pervert," Ana said, laughing. "You need to rest, babes, and so do I. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Fine," Juice groaned. "I guess I'll try to sleep. Take care of yourself, okay? I love you."

"Love you, too," Ana said with a smile before hanging up. She curled up with Juice's pillow, and, inhaling his scent, she fell asleep instantly, wanting nothing more than for the man she loved to be there with her.

* * *

><p><em><strong>This was not my favorite chapter, and it's pretty much filler before the next one. That's when some serious shit happens, both for Ana and Juice.<strong>_


	24. Chapter 24

Juice sat on his bike, watchng Chibs say goodbye to his family the next day. They were heading to Dungloe to help the SAMBEL boys with the guns shipment, but their main priority was to grill Jimmy about Abel.

Happy was next to him, on his own bike, and he scoffed.

"All this goodbye shit. Glad I ain't got a woman to bring into this," he said, tossing his cigarette on the ground.

"Yeah, you live on that bachelor high, old man," Juice said, turning his gaze onto McGee and O'Neill. They were talking to each other and kept passing glances at Jax and the priest. "Hey Hap?"

"Yeah?" Happy asked.

"The Irish. You trust them?" Juice asked nodding over to the Irish president and Sgt at Arms. Happy followed his gaze and scoffed again.

"Hell no," Happy said. "Every word about Jax's kid has been bullshit. I don't trust them at all. I know Jax doesn't either."

Juice nodded and kicked on his bike at that. He knew at least he wasn't alone in thinking that these assholes had something up their sleeves. He was just hoping that they would stay whole as it played out, because he definitely had a bad feeling brewing in his gut.

* * *

><p>Ana was finally reaching the end of the mountain of invoices on the desk when Tig knocked on the door.<p>

"Hey, Lewis," he said. "Need a favor."

"What's that?" Ana asked, filing the last invoice for the day. She was still wary around Tig. Sure, he'd been thankful when he bailed her out, and started treating her like she actually existed rather than passing her by as if she was an object. She still didn't like how he treated people in general. The only people he seemed to have real respect for was Gemma and Clay.

"Lumpy, guy who owns the gym? Need you to go check out the gym and get his paperwork. Take it to him at the hospital," he said. "He said it's under the cash register."

"Alright," Ana said, grabbing her keys. "Don't kill Koz while I'm gone, please."

"No promises," Tig replied as she left.

She drove to the gym and gasped when she saw the police tape.

"A little heads up would have been fucking nice, Tig," she said to herself as she ducked under the tape and entered through the broken window. Glass was everywhere, and she could see a blood puddle on the floor. She was definitely going to kill Tig when she saw him, because this was ridiculous.

Taking her eyes off the blood, she spotted the cash register and walked over. She moved it over and saw the folder Tig had mentioned. She grabbed it and put it in her purse, shaking her head at the damage in the gym. She left quickly, having seen enough.

On the way to her car, she spotted a familiar face. The guy Juice had jumped was in a car with some chick, watching her. She saw he had a broken nose, still, and a cut on his cheek from Juice's beat down. He narrowed his eyes as she gave him an evil smirk. They drove off before she got in her car.

Ana took one more look at the gym. Her heart broke for the old man who owned it, because she knew he would end up selling it. She was starting to wonder why she even came here.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Juice had his own problems halfway across the world. They were at the barn with the weapons, and something wasn't smelling right. He was tasked with watching O'Neill, so he had Hap come with him. O'Neill mentioned taking a shit, and they were waiting for him to return when they heard yells coming from the barn.<p>

Juice and Happy turned in time to see the kids Jimmy had recruited chain the doors shut. They took off after them, but the kids were faster. They piled into the car and sped off. Juice, cursing, headed to the doors and began trying to shoot the lock off the chain.

Happy had just joined him when he heard the truck inside start and his heart dropped. He knew these Irish pricks dealt with car bombs, and in that moment he heard Ana's voice in his ears.

_Take care of him._

"Juice, move!" he said, not hesitating to grab Juice. He had just finished pulling him away from the barn just as the truck rammed through the doors. Juice started to get up but Happy didn't let him.

"Stay your ass down, I promised her you'd be safe," he growled at Juice.

"What the fuck, man?" Juice asked, just as the truck exploded.

"Holy shit!" they yelled, covering their heads as the debris flew everywhere.

Once everything had settled, Happy helped Juice up.

"You alright?" he asked. Juice nodded, breathing heavily and giving himself a once over.

"You?" he asked, and Happy nodded, looking around for everyone. First thing they saw were body parts everywhere. They could see most of SAMCRO standing, at least. Juice sighed in relief, then almost got sick when the smell of burning flesh hit him. Clay got Jax up, then walked over to them.

"You guys alright?" he asked, looking them over.

"We're good. We whole?" Happy asked as Juice tried to get his nasuea under control.

"SAMCRO is," Clay said. "Can't say the same for SAMBEL."

"It was those kids Jimmy recruited," Juice said. "They chained the doors and took off before we could catch them."

"I don't know where O'Neill went," Happy continued. "Our first priority was getting those doors opened-"

"You guys did good," Clay said. "Come on."

Juice shook his head and stepped over an arm to follow Clay. This had to have been Jimmy, and he knew without a doubt this just became more than getting Abel. This was war.

* * *

><p>Ana was walking back from Lumpy's hospital room where she saw Tara walking with some redheaded lady.<p>

"Hey!" she called, catching up with them.

"Oh, hey, Ana," Tara said with a smile. "Um, Ana Lewis, Margaret Murphy."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Lewis," Margaret said, shaking Ana's hand.

"Likewise," Ana said. "I was dropping off some paperwork for Lumpy, and was going to head back to the garage. You need a lift home?"

"Um, no. Actually, I was wondering if you could come with me and Margaret," Tara said. "I'll explain on the way there, but I could use another friend with me, if that's okay."

"Sure," Ana said. "That okay, Ms. Murphy?"

Margaret nodded, and together, they walked out, not knowing that they were being watched by Hector Salazar.

* * *

><p>Juice was sitting at the table as Chibs smoked a cigarette. He knew that Chibs was grieving, but he had some stuff he needed to get off his chest.<p>

"Hey, man, sorry about your nephew," Juice said.

"Thanks, brother," Chibs said. "You talked to your girl today?"

Juice shook his head. "Happy did. I just can't talk to her right now without losing my shit. I need to ask you some shit, though."

"What is it, boy?" he asked.

"It's about Fi. And Ana," Juice said, slowly.

Chibs looked confused.

"I don't follow."

Juice bit his lip, and decided it was now or never.

"I want what you have with Fi. I want it...with Ana."

Chibs laughed a little. He knew where this was going, and relief flooded through him.

"Saw this coming from the first time the lass entered your vision, Juicy. Can't say I'm surprised."

Juice grinned a little as he looked up at Chibs.

"I just need to know. How do you make it work?"

Chibs sighed. This was hard to explain, but Juice would probably follow. He was smarter than he let on. For fucks sake, the guy could have gone to MIT if he'd wanted to.

"Fi and I are estranged, brother. To be honest, I wish we were like you and Ana. You know, that first love, pussy whipped shite."

Juice scoffed in protest.

"I'm not-"

"Boy you've only fucked her maybe twice, and you're already talking long term. Brother, you are whipped."

Juice laughed a little and Chibs grabbed his shoulder.

"You love her, lad?"

Juice nodded, smiling while doing so. He could still hear Ana's laugh, and when he closed his eyes he could see her face, with that playful grin he loved so much.

"Yeah, man, I do."

"She know that?"

"Yeah," Juice said with a grin. "She loves me, too."

Chibs rolled his eyes, but gave Juice an understanding smile.

"No shit, brother. I don't know why, but anyone can see that she does. Do what you gotta do. Ask her to be your Old Lady. She's got the stuff. She's got Clay's respect. Jax's. Gemma's. Everyone likes her, and everyone definitely respects her after the Weston thing."

Juice nodded. He knew how the club felt about Ana. Even Tig was warming up to her, which was rare for him. There really was nothing stopping him from making her his for real. Well, except one thing.

"Do I...do I crow her?" Juice asked. "She doesn't have any tattoos, and I haven't asked why. What if she doesn't believe in it or something?"

Chibs laughed.

"Only if she wants one, and then you get Happy to do it," Chibs said. "He'd kill both of you if you don't ask him."

Juice laughed out loud, picturing Happy's face should Ana get a crow by anyone else, and Chibs joined in. After they composed themselves, Chibs heaved a sigh.

"I am so proud of you, Juicy. We're the men we are because of the women behind us. Ana's been good for you. You got someone other than the club to think about now. Remember that."

"I will," Juice said as the priest and Fiona came in. Chibs went to talk to them and Juice went back to his book, knowing he was going to be here a while. He kept Chibs's words in mind. He would definitely be having the Old Lady talk with Ana when he got back.

* * *

><p>Ana hung up the phone and Tara looked back with worry.<p>

"The guys okay?" she asked as Margaret drove. Ana nodded, not knowing if she should tell Tara what Happy had told her.

There had been a bomb and a bunch of the Irish were killed. The Charming guys were whole, and Juice was watching Chibs's family now, but he was shaken up a lot. Happy made sure to tell her that Juice was fine first.

"They're fine," Ana said, sitting back. Tara had told her she was getting an abortion, and although Ana didn't think it's something she could do herself, she wasn't about to judge Tara for choosing it.

They had just stopped to turn when Ana felt a jolt from behind. She turned to see a car behind them, and Maragaret said "Damn it" before she and Tara got out. Ana decided to get out, too, and she recognized the girl immeadiately just as she asked Tara if she was Jax Teller's Old Lady. Before she could stop Tara, she said yes and Hector fucking Salazar got out of the car.

"Check their ink," he spat. He looked at Ana suspiciously, and Ana thanked God she had her hair up in a bun. She hoped he wouldn't recognize her.

Luisa checked Ana after it was seen that Margaret had the ink of a MC on her back.

"This one's inkless, papi," she told Hector.

"Nah, she's one of them," Hector said darkly. "She was there when that Rican got me."

"We can't fit three hostages in the car, Hector!" Luisa said angrily.

As they started to argue, Ana made eye contact with Tara. She mouthed for Tara to run. Tara shook her head.

"They want me. You two go," she whispered.

"I'm not leaving you," Margaret said hotly.

"Fine, Ana, go. Now," Tara said.

Ana looked around. She saw the wood line not too far from the road, and she didn't think Hector would stay long enough to look for her. So, as they were distracted, Ana bolted.

She heard Hector and Luisa yelling, and then she heard a gunshot. She felt a bullet whiz by her ear and she picked up the pace. She counted the shots, and dropped at the fifth. The sixth one rang out and she heard Hector curse when he realized he was out of bullets.

"It's okay, babe, you probably got her," she heard Luisa say in the distance. "Either way, she won't be found for a while. Let's just go."

Ana stayed on the ground as she heard the cars pull away. When she determined all was safe, she got up, then cried out when she felt a pain in her leg. She dabbed her hand and felt wetness. It seems as if the wound from the drive by had opened up on her fall.

"Fuck," she hissed, ripping a piece of her shirt off and wrapping it around the bleeding felt her pockets for her phone then a horrifying realization dawned on her. She left her purse in the car, and it had her phone and her gun in it. She had no way of calling Tig or Piney or anyone to let them know what had happened, and they were literally in the middle of nowhere. Ana had no idea where she was.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Yep, I went there. Cliffy and all.<strong>_

_**Don't worry, I am working on the next chapter now!**_


	25. Chapter 25

It was just after daybreak when Ana woke up. She could hear cars whizzing by on the highway, and she stretched before she stood up. She looked down at her leg and sighed in relief. The bleeding had stopped, so she took off the scrap of fabric, and, making sure no one was around, shimmied her jeans down to her knees to check the damage.

There was a bit of dirt in the wound, but from what she could see, the blood had clotted okay, and it was just a small bit that reopened. Brushing as much dirt away as she could, she pulled her jeans back up and sighed. Her back hurt, and her leg ached, but she knew she had to get a lift back to Charming to tell them what had happened. Groaning, she limped towards the side road where Salazar had rear ended them, hoping to flag someone down.

As luck would have it, she spotted someone on a motorcycle, and saw as she got closer, she saw the reaper. It said "Washington" on the back, which meant it was Kozic.

"Koz!" she yelled, limping as fast as she could. She tapped his shoulder, and he looked back in shock.

"Ana!?" he asked, confused. He rode onto the side of the road and hopped off his bike, taking in her disheveled appearance. "What the hell happened?"

"I went fucking camping," she said sarcastically. "Salazar happened. He's got Tara and some woman who works with her, and I took off while him and his Old Lady were arguing about what to do with me."

"When did this happened?" Kozic asked in disbelief.

"Last night," Ana replied. "I slept in the woods, was going to wait until day broke to try to get back. I wanted to be sure Salazar wasn't going to come back."

"Fuck," Kozic said, taking off his helmet and handing it over to her. "Get on the bike. I got to get you back to the garage and cleaned up. We'll handle Salazar."

* * *

><p>Happy's phone rang as they were headed back from the lofts. McGee and O'Neill had been taken care of, and now all they had to do was get Jimmy and Abel.<p>

"Yeah?" he asked as he got off his bike.

"It's Koz."

Happy stopped and waved for everyone to go on.

"What's up, man?" Happy asked, knowing this probably wasn't good.

"Juice around you...ow! What the fuck?"

"Kozic?" Happy asked, confused as he heard a jumble of voices in the background. "Juice ain't around. What's up?"

"His fucking old lady is violent, that's what's up. She got hurt last night, there's some shit going on and I was going to let him know but apparently-"

"Ana isn't wanting him to," Happy finished, rolling his eyes. "Put her ass on the phone."

"Don't you fucking tell him, Happy Lowman," Ana's voice said. "I am fine."

"What happened?" Happy asked. He heard Ana groan and argue with someone in the background, something about Jax not needing to know this right now. _Why the fuck is Jax in this_, Happy wondered. Finally Kozic took the phone back.

"It's Salazar. He tried to kidnap Ana last night, and she made a break for it," he said. "She spent the night in the damn woods and scared the shit out of me this morning when I went on a McDonalds run."

Kozic decided to tell the half truth, and then they'd tell Jax the rest if they needed to. Ana sat on the bathroom sink, listening to Happy swear in Spanish.

"Find that bastard and gut him like a fish," Happy said. "I won't let Juice know until we're back, but know that if that bastard's still alive when we're there, that's going to be a kill Juice wants."

"You got it, bro," Kozic said, hanging up. Happy shook his head before going back inside the clubhouse. Shit seemed to be fucked up, on both sides of the globe.

* * *

><p>Ana swore when she let the peroxide hit her leg. The wound bubbled and burned, but the infection seemed to be clearing out. She redressed it and laid on Juice's bed in the clubhouse, and thought about the night before.<p>

If she'd just carried her purse out with her, she could have saved Tara and Margaret. She carried her gun everywhere, and now Salazar had that, too. If she'd only gotten to it, Tara and Margaret wouldn't be in danger.

A knock sounded at the door, and she sat up to see Tig walking in.

"You alright, Lewis?" he asked.

"Yeah," Ana said glumly. "Just thinking I could have done more to help Tara."

"Hey," Tig said. "You tried. She told you to run, and to be honest, you dying would suck."

"Oh, please," Ana said, rolling her eyes. "You wouldn't miss me."

"No, but that little Rican shit that loves you would. He'd be a pain in the ass to be around if you croaked. Happy would miss you, even Jax would miss you. Besides, who's going to bail me out of jail next time?" Tig asked.

Ana smiled a little at Tig's words.

"Stop beating yourself up. We're going to get Tara and the hospital lady back. That's why I'm here, we need you to come with us to help get Alvarez to work with us," Tig continued. "Pretty half Spanish girl may help ease his temper."

Ana nodded, and grabbed her jacket. "Lead the way."

* * *

><p>Juice was playing cards with Chibs's daughter, Kerianne. She was turning out to be quite the card shark, and Juice was teaching her little tricks when it came to her poker face and how to save her best card for last.<p>

Kerianne had just beat Juice for the third time when his phone rang. It was Jax, telling him to meet them outside as soon as possible.

"Everything okay?" Kerianne asked, looking worried. Juice shrugged as he stood up, ready to grab his things. He could hear the motorcycles already, so he jumped up and grabbed his gun as he headed out the door. He let Chibs pass as he met up with Jax.

"What happened?" he asked, taking in their grave faces.

"Sean Casey's dead, we think they tortured him for information about Fiona," Clay said.

"Not Fiona. The baby. He needs leverage back to the States," the priest said. Juice felt dread seep in his stomach as he locked eyes with Jax. Jax looked lost for a minute then panic came across his face.

"The hotel," he said, running to his bike. Juice hopped off the stairs to get to his own bike, and followed Jax to whatever hotel he was talking about.

If Jimmy was after Abel, this was bad. It was the last thing they wanted, especially after the shit that had happened in the past three days. Drive bys and bombings, members being killed, members betraying them, this was too damn much. He hoped Ana didn't plan on coming to Ireland, because he had no desire to return to this green filled hell.

Jax told Happy, Bobby, Chibs, and Juice to make sure Jimmy or his guys weren't in the lobby while they checked the hotel room for Abel. While they waited, Juice found the perfect present for Ana. If she didn't want a crow tattoo, this would be something for her to identify herself as an Old Lady. It was a charm of a crow, with its wings stretched out. It could be attached to a bracelet or a necklace, and Juice bought it immediately, despite Happy ragging on him for the timing. He tucked the little bag inside his hoodie, and made a mental note to pack it in his bag when he got back.

Jax, Gemma, Clay, and Opie came back a few minutes later, with nothing. Whoever had Abel there was dead, and Abel was gone. Jax was almost unhinged, but was doing his best to keep it together. Chibs told Happy and him to get back to the girls, so they headed back to the rectory. Once there, Happy stopped him before they went inside.

"Look, man, I got to tell you something before anything else fucked up happens today," he said.

"What, man?" Juice asked.

"Ana got hurt last night," Happy said. "Salazar tried to kidnap her. She got away, but she fucked up her leg and spent the night in the woods. Koz found her this morning. She's okay, didn't want me to tell you, but I thought you should know in case she's a wreck when you get back."

"Salazar did what?" Juice asked angrily. "Something ain't adding up. She always carries her gun, man."

"I know, it doesn't seem right to me either," Happy said. "Something more is going on because they were talking about Jax didn't need to add shit on his plate. Just keep this between us for now, alright?"

"Yeah," Juice said, still enraged that asshole tried to hurt his woman. "She's okay, though?"

"She's fine," Happy said, walking up the steps. "Cool off before you come in, alright?"

Juice nodded, then kicked the trash can hard enough to leave a dent in it. "Damn it!" he yelled. No one could catch a break these days. He knew they needed to find the kid soon, before he lost his own damn mind. He was tired of the people he loved getting hurt.

* * *

><p>Ana limped into the police station behind Kozic and Tig. The past two days had been hell. Alvarez nearly shot them but allowed Ana to plead their case. He agreed to play dead so Tara and Margaret could be spared. There had been a hiccup with the cash that nearly had Tig at Stahl's throat. Now Unser called with some good news: Margaret had escaped and was being questioned at the station.<p>

Ana looked around while Tig and Kozic talked to Unser. She spotted Margaret sitting at a desk, shaken up but seemingly unharmed. She caught Ana's eye and gave a relieved smile.

"I thought you were dead," Margaret said, hugging Ana as she limped over.

"I'm okay," Ana said. "I counted the bullets and dropped at five. Hurt the leg a little, but I'm fine."

"Smart girl," Margaret said, laughing. "Just like Tara said. She thought you'd make it."

"Is she okay?" Ana asked, sitting down with Margaret.

"I don't know," she said. "She cut the girl's neck, and told him to let me go so she could save her. I don't know if the girl can be saved, Tara got her carotid artery. I'm sure she didn't mean to, though."

Ana put her head in her hands and looked back at Tig, who had a serious look on his face. Ana then looked at Kozic, who nodded back solemnly. All three of them knew what they had to do.

It was time to tell Jax.

* * *

><p>Juice and Happy had been charged with packing the bags. Juice was still a little angry, but he was happy Abel was back with Jax, and they were headed home. First thing he was going to do was spend some much needed time with Ana. The next thing he was going to do was put a bullet in Salazar's skull.<p>

"I can't wait to get home," Juice said to Happy as they went in for the rest of the bags. That Maureen chick was in there, smoking. "Hey, people are looking for you."

"I'll be out in a minute. Making sure no one forgot anything," she said in her Irish brogue.

"Thanks," he said with a smile, then picked up all four bags at once. He was eager to get back to the states, where there were hardly any risks of being blown to bits. "See you out there?"

"Yeah," she said.

Juice followed Happy, who was laughing as he struggled with the bags. Juice ended up tossing him one of them so they had three each. They loaded them to the top of the truck and were finishing tying them down when the rest of the club came outside. Juice hopped down to say goodbye to Chibs's family. He'd gotten to know them a little bit while he played bodyguard, and he'd become fond of them.

"You take care of your girly out there, love," Fiona said, patting his cheek. Juice grinned and hugged her, then he hugged Kerianne.

"Remember those card tricks I taught you, okay?" he told her. "Next time your da's here, you can wipe his pockets."

"Alright, Juice," she said, giggling as Chibs rolled his eyes. Juice went to get into the car when he heard Bobby call Jax's name.

"It's Ana and Tig. You're going to want to hear this."

* * *

><p><em><strong>OMG, only two more episodes before I finish this off, guys! I have to tell you, I cannot wait to start part two. <strong>_

_**I don't think I'm going to have Juice kill Salazar. I liked how he was finished off in June Wedding (which is what is coming up), and I really want to just focus on Juice and Ana on the next chapter. Remember, he is about to go to prison, after all.**_

_**I think two or three more chapters and this will be finished up. Thanks to you amazing amazing people. I love getting feedback, but I love writing this story, too, and I would continue it even if no one reviewed. My view count and followers show it is being read, and that's all I can ask for. Besos to all of you!**_


	26. Chapter 26

_**Bit o'smut in this chapter as well. Still having problems writing it. Bear with me. **_

* * *

><p>"Hey, Juice, wake the fuck up."<p>

Juice opened his eyes to see Happy glowering at him.

"What, man?" Juice grumbled, closing his eyes again.

"We're in Charming. A few more minutes and you can go see your girl," Happy replied.

Juice sat up, still a little tired but the need to make sure Ana was really okay woke him up more than Happy's rude attempt did.

Things had been tense on the way home. Tig had let Ana tell Jax about what happened to Tara, and Juice seethed as he heard how her escape really went down. How she didn't want to leave Tara but Tara pretty much forced her to run. How Salazar unloaded his entire clip after her as she ran off. In simpler times, he would have laughed at her instincts to hit the deck after the fifth shot, but he was too angry to do that right now.

He knew something wasn't right about the first story they'd been told. Ana always carried a gun, and if his hunch was correct, she'd left her purse in the car when they'd gotten out to check on the accident.

No one was angry at Ana, even though that didn't stop her from apologizing over and over again about not staying with Tara. Juice was glad she didn't. No ink meant she was worthless to Salazar, and he probably would have killed her.

He could feel the van slowing down and he got ready to get out. Even if the circumstances were shitty, he was very glad to be home.

* * *

><p>Ana sat on the hood of her car, waiting for the van to pull in. She was half afraid of what the club coming home meant for her. Even though they told her no one was mad, she knew that the Teller-Morrows could hold a grudge, especially when things like this happened.<p>

There was a huge cheer as a black van pulled in, and Ana smiled a little despite her mood. Juice was home, and that did make her happy. He told her he wasn't mad at her, and she actually believed him. He sounded relieved to know that she was okay when they talked, and he said they had to talk about something else when he got back.

Ana slid off her car as the van doors opened. Opie and Jax got out first, then Clay, and then Juice. He looked around frantically, then spotted her. A huge grin spread across his face as he ran over. He dropped his bag and picked her up, kissing her all over the face before kissing her lips sweetly.

"God, I missed you," he said, squeezing her tightly as he put her back on her feet.

"I missed you too," she said, breathing in his scent. The peppery cologne was still there, just as she remembered, and she took another deep breath before pulling away from him. "You okay? I heard about the bomb."

"Yeah, baby," Juice said, keeping an arm around her waist as he threw his bag into the trunk of her car. They then walked to the clubhouse, to say hi to everyone else before Juice had to go into the chapel.

Gemma stole Ana from Juice as soon as they passed through the doors.

"Sorry, Juicy, I'll give her right back," she said, hugging Ana tightly. "You okay, baby?"

Ana nodded, tears filling her eyes all of a sudden. She couldn't remember being held like this from her own mom, but she guessed that this is what it would have felt like had she lived longer.

"I'm fine, Gemma," Ana said, her voice breaking a little. "Just worried about Tara."

"We all are," Gemma replied, pulling away. "You did good, and you tried to stay with her. That's what matters. That and you're safe. You did some quick thinking, too."

Ana nodded again as Jax and Clay spotted her. Jax gave her a sad smile as he walked over.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," he said, hugging her with one arm as the other held a sleepy Abel. "I'm not blaming you one bit. And we're going to get her home, too."

Ana smiled, her eyes not leaving Abel. He'd gotten so big while he was away, yet he seemed to recognize everything around him. He reached for Ana, and Jax passed him over to her with a smile on his face.

"We got church," Clay said, squeezing her shoulder as he passed her.

"I got him," Ana said, going to sit on the couch by the window with Abel. He was extremely drowsy, and fell asleep within moments of her sitting down.

"Hey, baby boy," she whispered, stroking his hair as he slept. "So much happened while you were gone. I'm going to be sticking around for a while. Someone bad took your mommy, but we're going to find her soon. Oh, and you're going to be a big brother. Yeah, and we can't wait for that to happen, either. Your daddy and uncles have to go away soon, and that's going to be sad, but we'll still make it fun for you and your new baby brother or sister. I'll teach you how to draw and color, and you can spend the night with me whenever you want, how does that sound?"

A snore is the answer she got and she laughed a little as she continued to stroke his hair. She looked up as Gemma came in, ready to take over for her. She softly passed Abel over to his grandma, and watched as Gemma smiled down at him.

"I've missed him so much," Gemma said, more to herself than to Ana. "And I don't know what I'm going to do when I go away."

Ana shook her head.

"I don't think you're going away, Gemma," she said. "I just have this feeling that it's all going to be okay."

"We could use some of that," Gemma replied as the guys came out of chapel. Juice walked over to her and took her hand.

"I want to go home," he said, nuzzling her neck and making her giggle.

"Okay," she said, grabbing her purse. Unser had brought it back to her this morning, with everything still in it. "Let's go."

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Smut Alert!)<strong>_

Juice led the way into the house and once the door was closed, he pulled Ana close, and kissed her deeply. He trailed kissed down her neck, unzipping her sundress slowly, his fingers slowly tracing her spine as he did. She shivered as he finally slid the dress down her body, and he stepped back to enjoy the view. She wasn't wearing a bra, and she had on black lacy hipster panties that contrasted with her pale skin.

"No ripping those," she said with a teasing glint in her eyes. He hooked a thumb on each side and pulled them down slowly, dropping to his knees and kissing down her wounded leg softly, before moving his lips back up her body. He found her mouth again, and, kissing her deeply once more, he hoisted her up and carried her to her bedroom, and placed her on the bed.

Ana laid back on her pillows as Juice got undressed as fast as he could. He grabbed a condom and put it on quickly before settling in between her legs.

"You missed me, baby?" he asked, teasing her wet slit with the tip of his dick.

"Yes, Juan," she moaned, hoisting her hips up, trying to let him in, but he chuckled and pushed her hips back down. "Baby, I need you, now."

"You got me, babes," Juice said, kissing the valley between her breasts tenderly as he pushed into her slowly. Ana gasped as he pushed deeper, and he groaned as her walls clenched around him. "God baby, you feel so fucking good."

"You too," Ana moaned, clawing his back as he picked up the pace. He growled lowly and flipped where she was on top of him, and he placed his hands on her hips as she began to ride him. She panted as he pushed his hips up, driving his dick deeper into her.

"Oh my God," she moaned, throwing her head back as she moved. Juice bit his lip and smiled as she picked up the pace, her gasps turning into screams as she came. She collapsed on top of him, breathing heavily as Juice stroked her back softly.

"Did you?" she asked, catching her breath as she propped up on her hands to look at him.

"Nope," he said with a grin, flipping her onto her back again. He placed her legs over his shoulders and pushed into her again, watching with a smile as she arched her back and moaned again.

"You love me?" he groaned, going harder with each thrust, making her moan louder each time.

"You know I do," she gasped, feeling that familiar fire burning again. She tried to hold back, but she was having troubles. Juice was too good. Each time he pushed into her was him pushing her closer to the edge, but she wanted him with her when she went over this time.

"Say it," he grunted, pulling her into his lap and wrapping her legs around him. They moved together, going faster, each of them getting closer to that sweet release their bodies craved.

"I love you, Juan," she moaned into his shoulder, groaning as she was rewarded with another deep thrust.

"Love you too, Analis," he hissed. "Come for me."

"Can't until you do," she whined, fighting the urge to follow his command.

"I'm close baby, just let go," Juice said, fisting his hands in her hair and kissing her deeply as she did just that. With a shudder, he felt his own release escape him.

They held each other for a moment before disentangeling from each other. Ana got under the covers as Juice disposed of the condom. He got in bed with her and grinned as she scooted to his chest with a sigh of contentment.

"Welcome home," she said softly, linking her fingers with his.

"Mmm," he said, kissing the top of her head. "I need to talk to you."

Ana sat up, pulling the covers around her as she did. "About?" she asked.

Juice grinned and pulled her back down to him, and wrapped his arm around her. "Nothing bad, I promise."

Ana rolled her eyes but sighed in relief anyway. Those words never had anything good following them, so she couldn't blame herself for reacting the way she did.

"So what is it?" she asked, curiously.

Juice sighed, and Ana felt like he was gathering courage to say what he needed to.

"I want you to be my Old Lady," he finally said. "I was going to do this speech, full of fancy words and shit, but I think coming out and saying it may be better. You never seemed the type for grand gestures."

Ana laughed.

"Our first kiss was in an elevator after your friend was blown up. I think you're right about the grand gesture thing," she said. "And if you want me, you got me. I've got no problem with being your Old Lady."

"Really?" Juice asked, a smile spreading slowly across his face. "Then hold on a minute. I got something for you."

He got out of bed and pulled on his boxers and jeans quickly. Ana sat up and pulled his shirt on to cover herself so she could see what he was doing. She looked through the doorway to see him rummaging through a bag. Just before he pulled something out, her cell phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered a little grumpily, as Juice came in with a questioning look on his face.

"Hey sweetie, it's Bobby."

Ana could hear a Spanish woman in the background arguing, and Ana lifted an eyebrow.

"Hey, Bobby. How can I help you today?" she asked sarcastically, knowing this was probably something he needed her or Juice, or both, to do.

"Yeah, I need Juice to come translate for me. Hap isn't answering his phone," Bobby said desperately. "Neither is Juice, so I guess he's with you."

"Yeah, he is," Ana said reluctantly, not really wanting Juice to leave just yet. "I'll send him over. Where are you?"

After writing down an address, she hung up and passed the paper to Juice, who took it with a groan.

"I don't know what he's going to say when he finds out I can't speak a fucking word of Spanish," he said, looking for his shirt. He spied it on Ana and lifted his eyebrow, amused. "I need that, babes. I grabbed the wrong bag when we left, all that is Opie's shit."

"Then you can wear his shirt," Ana teased.

"Yeah, right. It would be a dress on me," Juice said, holding his hand out expectantly. Ana sighed and stripped off the shirt. She threw it to Juice, who caught it expertly and put it over his head quickly. He then grabbed his kutte off the floor and shrugged it on.

"I'll be back later, okay?" he said with a kiss on her cheek. "Do me a favor and take Opie's bag back to the club house. If he's there, ask for mine, okay?"

"Alright. Be careful," she said as he left.

"I will. Love you, beautiful," he called back before shutting the door.

Groaning, Ana walked to the living room and picked her clothes off of the floor. At least she got to spend a little bit of time with him before he went back on duty. But she was his Old Lady now, and this is how the life worked for people like them.

Besides, after Ireland, the shit back home should be easier to deal with.

* * *

><p>Ana pulled into the garage's parking lot and grabbed the heavy duffle bag from her passenger seat. She heaved it onto her shoulder once she was out of the car, only to have it lifted from her completely by Opie. He'd walked up behind her without her noticing, carrying an identical bag.<p>

"You know, it's kind of funny when my kids see me wearing a shirt that is three sizes too small," he said, putting Juice's bag in her front seat with a grin. "The little shithead was so happy to see you that he didn't double check."

"We figured that out the hard way, too," Ana said, laughing. "Your stealth mode is excellent by the way, tall boy."

"Gemma taught me," Opie replied as his phone rang. He answered it, and the smile slid off his face when he did. He hung up without saying anything, and jogged to his bike.

Ana ran after him.

"What's up?" she asked, worried. "Is it Tara?"

"Yeah," Opie said. "Follow me, okay?"

Ana ran to her car, ignoring the pain in her leg, and turned the key. She spun tires as she sped after Opie, wondering what they were heading to.

* * *

><p>Juice heard a roar of a bike, and looked behind him to see Opie parking by the group on motorcycles that lined the streets. He saw a familiar Miata pull in beside him, and shook his head when Ana got out and rushed over.<p>

"I told her to follow me," Opie explained as they reached the members gathered, waiting for information.

"What's going on?" Ana asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she took in the crime scene in front of her.

"Salazar has Hale and Tara in there," Jax said angrily. "He's got them both at gunpoint."

Tara was still alive, Ana thought, relieved. That was the most important thing to her right now, but it sounded like the girlfriend didn't make it. Not that Ana really cared...she'd pointed a gun at Ana and debated killing her the last time they had contact.

"What are we doing?" she asked.

"Nothing," Juice said, gesturing to the police. "Not with them around."

Ana rolled her eyes and put her hands through her hair nervously. The police were just standing around like brainless oafs, while Tara and Jacob Hale were held hostage inside a building by a man who was out of his mind with rage and grief. Ana could tell what that was like, because there was a man who fit that description standing in front of her. Jax was walking around, shooting glares at the police and concerned looks at the building that held the woman he loved. If someone didn't do something, there was going to be another delicate situation happening outside the building.

Ana heard more motorcycles coming, and turned to see three Mayan choppers pull in beside her car. She felt a little apprehension, but felt a little secure about Alvarez not hurting her. Between her and Kozic, they'd gotten him to have a decent conversation the other day, and he seemed to be a genuine guy for the most part.

"What do we do about them?" Bobby asked Clay as the Mayans walked over.

"Buy them some popcorn. Not much we can do, now," Clay answered.

* * *

><p>Juice put his arm around Ana's waist as they waited, and rested his chin on top of her head.<p>

"Not exactly what I wanted on my day back," he finally said, sighing.

"Yeah, well, we don't always get what we want," Ana said, keeping her eyes on the building. Jax and Clay were called over by Unser, and after a brief discussion, they came back, a look of determination in Jax's eyes and a look of resignation in Clay's.

"We're trading me for Tara," Jax said, to the outburst of the rest of the club. All except Clay and Juice had something to say, and Jax noticed it.

"You get it, bro?" he asked, looking at Ana for a brief moment before he looked back at Juice.

"Yeah," Juice said. "I don't like it, but I get it. I'd do the same thing in a heartbeat. Just be careful, man."

Ana looked up at Juice, surprised he was siding with Jax on this. Tara was probably hoping Jax wouldn't do it. If she knew Tara like she think she did, she knew Tara would die for Jax in a heartbeat. No questions asked. Ana felt the same way toward Juice, but she guessed that's what love did. Jax wasn't thinking about the club, no more than Juice was when he agreed with Jax. They were thinking about the people they loved more than the club they served.

The club didn't come first for once.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Okay so it wasn't exactly AnaJuice centric like I planned, but hey, I'll try to make the next one better.**_

_**I'm hoping to finish this up tonight or tomorrow. That's how ready I am to move on to part two.**_

_**In response to the lovely guest reviewer: Hi! Your review made my night! And don't worry, Ana won't be with another man while he's in jail, but there is going to be something that happens, that will literally make most of the plot for maybe the first half of it. I truly hope no one hates me for it. You see, Juice's plotline for the next story takes a huge dive from SOA canon, for Juice at least, because I want him focused on something else. He won't be a rat, I promise. He won't be swinging from trees or stealing coke. I can't let much else out. Only one other person knows how it's going to go, and she gave her seal of approval.**_

_**And to my constant reviewer, stormdec23, you are the best. **_

_**Also some tumblr shout outs.**_

_**whatthehelllexxy (I think I butchered that), and chrystalcaper, thank you for the love! **_


	27. Chapter 27

"Salazar is on the run, the hostages are safe," Ana heard a policeman say a few minutes after Jax went in. Ana looked back at Juice and the other members, who were talking amongst themselves. Juice broke away from the group and walked toward her.

She'd been distant with him since he backed up Jax, and he assumed it was because she felt the same way the rest of them did. They didn't need their VP as a hostage. He was important to the club, and needed to stay alive. However, Juice knew that for Jax, he would have rather been dead and with Tara, than alive in the club without her. If the situation was changed, and it was Ana that Salazar had, Juice wouldn't have hesitated. Hell, it almost was Ana, now that he thought of it.

Juice could see the club's side, but Jax's side was more important. Either outcome was shitty, but the thought of Jax learning Tara was dead was a scary thought indeed.

"You think I was wrong to back up Jax?" he asked Ana when he was next to her, his hands in his pockets as he observed the scene playing out.

"No," Ana replied. "It's just not what I expected from you. You don't normally go against the majority of the club."

"This is bigger than the club," Juice said darkly, glaring at the building. If he saw Salazar, his first move would be to get Ana out of the way, and his second was going to be putting a bullet between the bastard's eyes. "Jax and Tara...that's some old school romance shit there. You can't have one without the other. If he lost her, then we'd lose him as sure as shit. He'd be worse than dead."

Ana nodded. "You told him you get it?" she asked, looking up at him. "What did you mean by that?"

Juice gestured to the building. "That could be you in there. It almost was. You think I wouldn't choose the same thing Jax did?"

"I wouldn't want you to," Ana said firmly. "Not if you had a chance in dying."

"We all have that chance," Juice replied. "Every day, I got a risk of dying. It's who I am, it's the life I live. But like I just said about Jax, it's better to take that risk, knowing I've got someone waiting for me, than to lose that someone. She makes it all worth it to him, and you make it all worth it for me. If I lost you, I wouldn't be worth anything."

Ana smiled and kissed him softly.

"Babe," she said. "That's probably the craziest shit I've ever heard. But I feel the same way so maybe I'm crazy, too."

She looked over his shoulder to see Tara being led into an ambulance, and pulled away just in time to hear that Salazar was dead.

"Babe, I'm going to go to the hospital," she said, kissing his cheek. "Make sure Tara's fine."

"Yeah," Juice said with a grin. "You should do that. I love you."

"Love you, too," she said, jogging to her car. She looked back to see the guys grinning in relief, and she couldn't help the smile on her own face.

Maybe they could get that one normal day after all.

* * *

><p>Ana sat in a chair beside Margaret, watching Jacob Hale gloat about what had happened, and how he gave himself credit for saving Tara's life as well as his own. Ana bit back the vile retort that threatened to come forth, knowing it wouldn't help anything. What did it matter, anyway? Everyone was safe, Salazar was dead. Ana couldn't find the energy to care about anything else at the moment.<p>

"I assume you're with an MC member, too," Margaret said softly to her. "I'm sorry we haven't gotten to know each other well."

"It's fine. And yes, I'm with the one with the head tattoos," Ana said, smiling at the thought of Juice.

"The one who smiles a lot," Margaret noted. "I was here when they brought him in from county. He was a sweetheart. Said he liked my hair, but of course, I'm assuming he was feeling the morphine more than my hair."

Ana laughed a little.

"Yeah," she said. "He's a goofball. He's got a great heart. They all do."

Margaret nodded, looking at her feet. "I'm starting to get that. I made a lot of judgements about it, and I regret it now. I still think Tara deserves better, and you for that matter. But the guys you're both with, they would do anything to protect you. I see that now."

Unser walked over, shaking his head at Hale.

"You ladies okay?" he asked.

"Yes," Margaret said, then smiled when she was Tara and Jax walking down the hall. She and Ana rushed toward Tara, and Margaret hugged her first.

"I'm so glad you're safe," she said to Tara, wiping her eyes as she pulled away. Tara saw Ana and hugged her tightly.

"Ana," she said in relief. "Oh I am so glad you made it."

Ana laughed a little as she pulled away. "Geeze, Margaret said you had faith that I did," she said.

Tara nodded. "I did, but still, I've been wrong before. I'm glad I wasn't, though," she said. "You okay?"

"Cut my leg when I hit the deck that night," Ana explained. "But it's okay now. I'll tell you the story some other time, when we're not exhausted."

Jax put his arm around Tara's shoulders with a smile.

"Go home, Ana," he said. "Juice is probably waiting for you. And Abel," he said to Tara with a grin. "Is waiting for you."

Tara smiled tearfully at that, and, saying goodbye, they took off without a spare glance. Ana said her farewells to Unser and Margaret, and drove back to her place. Sure enough, Juice's bike was in the driveway, and her living room light was on.

She walked in and smiled at the sight of Juice asleep on the couch. He was sitting up, his head leaned against the back of the couch, and was snoring lightly.

"Hey," she whispered, nudging his shoulder lightly. "You're drooling on my couch."

"Don't drool," he groaned as he woke up. He gave her a sleepy smile. "Tara okay?"

"Yeah," she said, sitting next to him. He draped his arm over her shoulder and she sighed happily as he turned on the TV. She kicked off her shoes and got comfortable as they watched some black and white movie that happened to be on.

"I meant all that shit earlier today," he said softly, his fingers playing in her hair. "About being lost without you."

"I know you did, baby," Ana replied. "I meant it too. I love you, Juan Carlos, and I don't think I could stop even if I wanted to."

Juice smiled, and reached into his pants pocket.

"So, you know most of the Old Ladies have a crow tattooed on them, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure about a tattoo right now. I have needle issues," Ana replied, a little nervous. She also didn't want the same type of crow that Tara, Gemma, and Lyla had. She didn't fall in love with Juice Ortiz, the SAMCRO member. She fell in love with Juan, the goofy mechanic who just happened to be in SAMCRO. That meant something to her, so she didn't want a brand of the club on her. She wanted something for him.

"I guessed something along those lines," he said. "So I saw this in Ireland, and I think you'd appreciate it."

He pressed something into her palm, and Ana looked at it. It was a charm of a black bird...a crow. Its wings were stretched wide, as if it were flying.

"I figured that your necklace could use something of me on that chain," he said, shrugging. "When I first met you, you still had Gavin's ring there. Then when you came back, it was gone, and the more time I got to know you, without that weight there, the more I fell in love with you. I think I began to love you even before you went to Seattle. I think the night of Abel's party is when it first happened for me. You and Donna were laughing at something, and all I could think of was how beautiful you were when you laughed. And I wanted to see you laugh more often."

Ana was still staring at the charm, but listening to his every word. He was telling the truth. When she first came to Charming, she was a mess. The heartbreak from Gavin's death was bad enough...then the betrayal and fallout from that was like pouring salt in a wound. She didn't know why she kept his ring for so long. Maybe it was her punishing herself. Maybe she wanted a reminder of how fickle men could be. Whatever it was, she stopped letting it get to her when she started being friends with Juice, and she was ready to let him into her life when her father died. She let everything go in Seattle. Including Gavin, and the pain he brought her in his death.

She fumbled with the clasp of the chain, and unhooked it. She carefully put it through the loop on the crow then turned her back to Juice.

"Put it on me," she said softly, wiping her eyes. Juice took the necklace and hooked the clasp back, and kissed the back of her neck softly. She turned back to him, and Juice kissed her lips sweetly.

"I promise I won't hurt you like he did," he whispered. "I want to make you happy, not put you in pain. I know sometimes it can't be helped, but know that I wouldn't ever intentionally hurt you."

Ana nodded and pressed her forehead to his.

"I know, baby," she said. "I know."

Ana got up and held out her hand.

"Let's go to bed?" she asked, a teasing lilt to her voice. "Finish what we started earlier?"

"You saucy little minx," Juice said, grinning as he took her hand eagerly, and she led him to her bedroom.

They made love all that night, both of them knowing what the next day held for them. Juice was going back to jail, and they were looking at some time. At least three years, fourteen months if they could behave themselves.

So Juice had to get his fill of her in before that happened, and Ana needed him. She wasn't going to do some bullshit prison clause.

Juice didn't leave a single part of her body untouched that night. He was gentle, he was rough, he was sweet, and then he was demanding. And Ana loved every moment of it.

"We're going to be so fucking tired tomorrow," Ana said, laughing breathlessly as Juice placed kisses on her neck. They'd already made love four times, and he was going for 5. She lost count of how many times he'd made her come.

"Good," he mumbled, moving down her chest. "Being tired after doing this with you is worth it."

"Is it worth Gemma cutting our heads off?" she asked, gasping as he took a nipple into her mouth.

"Yes," his muffled voice said, nipping the sensitive bud with his teeth before moving to the other one. "Her and Clay are probably doing the same thing now...and that totally killed the mood," he said in disbelief, sitting up and groaning. Ana giggled as she watched Juice struggle to get whatever image he had out of his mind. Juice looked over at her and laughed, too, , pulling her into his lap.

"Whatever," he said. "We're young, we'll live through one day of being tired from fucking."

"I'm young," she said, placing a kiss on his neck. She smiled as he moaned. "You've got two years on me, babes."

"Yeah, I'm ancient," he deadpanned, pushing into her again. "I don't think an old guy can do that."

"Definitely not," Ana said breathlessly, moaning from the sensation of him inside of her.

And they continued on well into the early morning hours, and fell asleep in each others arms, lost in each other as the world outside them went on.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Okay, a short chapter, but still one of my favorites. I had to use a line that Theo Rossi used in Kill Theory, because hello...Theo Rossi talking dirty is some serious hot stuff.<strong>_

_**I can't believe this part is almost over. I've got the final chapter written, and I'm going to post it right away. We're headed to feels city, people, so get those tissues ready.**_


	28. Chapter 28

Juice sat up in bed a few hours later, watching Ana sleep. Her face was so peaceful, so beautiful, that he didn't want to wake her up. He knew what today had in store for her. For him. For the club as a whole. He also knew that Jax was probably writing letters to Gemma and Tara right now, and he suggested Juice do the same for Ana.

So, getting out of bed carefully, Juice walked into the kitchen, grabbed some notebook paper and an envelope, and began to write.

* * *

><p>He'd just put the envelope in his kutte pocket when Ana came out of the bedroom, in one of his T-shirts and some black stretch pants. Her hair was a mess, her neck was full of marks, both fresh and old, but she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.<p>

"Morning, baby," he said, kissing her sweetly.

"Morning," she said. "Couldn't sleep?"

Juice shook his head, and handed her a cup of orange juice. "Nah. Big day today."

Ana's face fell, and Juice's heart broke when it did. Last night, for him, was a homecoming and a going away thing. He knew it was the same for her, but whereas he'd already faced the music, it was hitting her full force now.

"I'm going to be okay, baby," he said, hugging her tightly. He could feel wetness on his shoulder and knew she was crying. She would try to hide it, for sure, and he wasn't about to call her out on it. "I'm going to be fine. More than likely, we'll get the parole at fourteen months. I promise I'll be on my best behavior."

"Last time you were in jail, you were stabbed in the back," Ana pointed out.

"Not going to happen this time," Juice replied. "We got protection now. Everything is going to be okay."

Ana took a moment to collect herself, then gave him a smile.

"Come on," she said. "Let's get ready before Gemma kills us for being too late."

* * *

><p>Ana rode with Juice on his bike, leaning against the planes of his back as he zipped through main street. She wore a white lacy top today with black jeans and boots, and Juice decided with all black. Ana couldn't deny how sexy he was in that color, but they didn't have time for a quickie. They were late enough as it was.<p>

Juice pulled in and helped her off the bike. He straightened the crow on her neck with a smile, and, hand in hand, they walked into the clubhouse, where the breakfast was in full swing. Juice went and got plates for him and Ana as she greeted everyone and apologized for running late. Everyone seemed happy this morning, even Gemma didn't chew her out for being late.

Juice and Ana ate behind the bar with Happy and Ana looked out at the family she'd chosen for herself. She loved them all dearly. Even Tig, now. She hated that by tonight, most of them were going to be in jail, but she knew she'd get through it.

"Hey everyone, Lyla's got something to say," Opie said, grinning. Everyone looked at Lyla expectantly, and she held up her hand.

"We're engaged!" she exclaimed, and cheers broke out among the club. Ana hugged Lyla tightly, and then hugged Opie. Juice hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek as everyone congratulated Opie and Lyla.

"That's going to be us one day," he whispered in her ear.

"I could say no," she shot back with a grin.

"Oh, I thought we already knew you were going to ask me, anyway," he countered, taking some icing from his cinnamon roll and putting it on her nose.

She jabbed her elbow into his ribs playfully and wiped the icing off as he pulled her in for another kiss.

"I love you so much," he said as they broke apart.

"I love you, too," she said, leaning against him as they watched everyone else. For one moment, everything was perfect.

* * *

><p>Ana was doing paperwork in the garage with Chuckie, who was trying relentlessly to get her to see something.<p>

"In a minute, Chuck," she said, peering at a record of non payment. "This bitch thinks she's pulling a fast one on-"

"Ms. Lewis, you need to see this," Chucky said.

Ana sighed and looked out to see Jax pulling in. "Go tell Jax, okay?" she told Chuckie. She liked the weird little man, but she couldn't focus with him talking so much.

"I accept that," Chuckie said, running out to meet Jax. He was soon running back in and cutting the tape on one of the boxes. He then ran back out to show Jax what was inside.

"Ana," Jax said, showing up with Chuckie in the office. "Help him carry those into chapel?"

She gave Jax a evil side eye as she tossed the payment record on the desk. She was on edge enough today, and she was hoping to get her mind off of it with the work that the office gave her. It was obvious that wasn't happening, so Ana just rolled her eyes and grabbed a box. Jax grabbed two more and together, they followed Chuckie into the clubhouse.

It turned out that the boxes were filled with misprinted money, and, apparently, it was just what the club needed to get Jimmy O'Phelan from the Russians. Ana's eyes nearly popped out her head seeing all the sheets of money in front of her.

"Holy shit, Chuck," she said, her eyes flashing from the money to Juice. "This is amazing."

"I'll call Eddie and see if we can borrow the cutter," Juice said, grabbing Ana's hand as he walked out of the clubhouse. He led them to his dorm room, and locked the door. He held up his hand as he called whoever Eddie was. After hanging up, he pressed his lips to hers possessively, his hands roaming her body like it was the last time he would ever do so.

"Everything okay?" she asked, pulling away and trying to catch her breath.

"Yeah," he said, picking her up and sitting her on the desk. "I just wanted some alone time with you while I could still get it."

His lips found her neck, and she moaned as his tongue made lazy movements up and down her collarbone. Her hands stroked the back of his neck as his lips found hers again. He placed his hands on her face and kissed her urgently. He couldn't get enough of her, and his time was running short. His hands moved from her face to her hair and he ran them through it, appreciating the feel of it running through his fingers as his tongue danced with hers.

Ana was the one to stop first, breathing heavily as she pulled away.

"They're going to be wondering where you are," she explained, pulling her sleeves back on her shoulders with a sad smile.

Juice sighed, and knew she was right. With one more innocent kiss, they left his room, and he went back to the chapel while she headed back to the office, his kiss still burning her swollen lips.

* * *

><p>"We're going to need to front load the bills with real cash," Jax was saying as Juice walked back in. "Putlova's smart. He'll be able to tell this is fake, but we need to buy just enough time to get Jimmy."<p>

"Where are we going to find the money?" Happy asked. "Two mil, that's a lot of money to be front loading."

"I'll think of something," Jax said, a knowing glance passing between them all. They all knew what the plan was, but no one dared speak it out loud. They couldn't have anyone outside knowing what was really going on.

Juice sat down and looked at the fake cash. He did the quick math and decided they'd need around 200K to decently front load this.

"Hey, Jax," he said, inspiration striking him. "I think I have an idea."

* * *

><p>Ana had just finished filing the last of the paperwork when Jax and Juice came into the office.<p>

"What's up?" she asked, her eyes passing between the two of them. Jax nudged Juice, who shot the Vice President a glare.

"You need it, you ask her," Juice said, offended.

"She's your Old Lady, she's less likely to shoot you," Jax pointed out.

"What do you guys need?" Ana asked, a little irritated. After another glance between the two guys, Jax decided to be the one to ask.

"You still got that money your old man left you?" Jax asked.

Juice's reluctance made perfect sense to her, now. He knew Ana didn't like talking about her dad, so he avoided it whenever possible. She nodded slowly, wondering where this was going.

"Please tell me it's already cashed," Jax said desperately.

"Yeah," Ana said. "Why?"

"We need to front load the bad bills," Juice said, determining that it was safe to speak. "We'll find a way to pay it back-"

"No," Ana said, happily, tossing Juice her keys. "In my closet, there's a safe. 11288 is the key code. The money in there is his. Take all of it, and don't worry about paying it back. I'm glad to be rid of it."

Jax shook his head, confused but still grateful. "I don't know the full story there, but thank you so much, Ana," he said, kissing her cheek. "I'll make it up to you, somehow."

"You're doing me a favor," Ana replied as Juice kissed her. "Consider it my pleasure."

* * *

><p>An hour later, Ana stood leaning in the door frame as the guys strapped on bulletproof vests and talked about the mission coming. They had to get Jimmy, and it was likely it would get messy when they did that. They'd gotten the money from the safe to trick the Russians, and everything was set and ready to go.<p>

Juice walked over to her with a hesitant smile on his face.

"You good?" she asked, gesturing to the vest. He looked down and nodded.

"Yep," he said. "I'll be alright. Don't worry about me."

Ana shook her head but stepped into his arms. He hugged her tightly, and kissed the top of her head.

"Come back to me Juan," she said, and he smiled at the memory of their first kiss. She'd said the same thing, then.

"Always, baby," he said, with a soft kiss on her lips. He walked to his bike, and Ana caught Happy's eye as he headed for the van. He winked and nodded. He'd watch Juice's back. She'd grown closer to Happy out of all the Sons, and she knew that he didn't look out for Juice just for Juice, but for her as well.

As Juice straddled his bike, he looked over at Ana and blew a kiss her way. He'd already given his package to Miles to give to her when this was all done. The plan was in motion, and he knew this was it. Their last moment of normality. She touched the crow that hung from her necklace, but smiled reassuringly at him.. Giving a half smile, he kicked on his bike, and followed the guys, doing his best not to look back.

As the guys pulled out of the lot, Ana wiped away a stray tear, and prayed that whatever happened, they would all make it back alive.

* * *

><p>Juice pulled into the lot with the others later that evening. It had been intense, and it got predictably unpredictable, but they were whole. He saw Ana, and knew that he had a matter of minutes before time was up. He pulled off his helmet and glasses and tossed them to the ground as he ran over. He pulled her in for a long kiss, and pressed his forehead against hers.<p>

"Listen to me," he said desperately. "Whatever happens, know that I love you, and that I'm not going to break my promise. I'm going to be okay, okay?"

"Juice, you're scaring me," Ana replied, her eyes searching his frantically. "What's going on?"

"I promise, you'll find out, okay? Just keep it together for now, because the girls are going to need you," he said, just as he heard Jax's bike getting closer. Happy looked at him and nodded. Juice nodded back. It was time to say goodbye. He gave Ana one last long, lingering kiss before going to stand with Tig. Ana shook her head as she walked over to stand beside him, her hand in his, squeezing it tight. She didn't know what was wrong, but she wasn't about to let him go through it alone.

Jax pulled in, then, with two black cars and a black transport van. Ana felt her heart drop, and tried to swallow the lump that suddenly appeared in her throat. Stahl exited one of the vehicles, eyeing each other people there with disdain and hatred.

"Where's Jimmy O?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow. No one moved, so she rolled her eyes. "I can have 20 agents here in 5 minutes to tear apart this white trash shit hole."

"I'm only half white, bitch," Ana said before she could stop herself. Juice snickered but the smile turned into a snarl when Stahl fixed Ana with a look that could kill.

"Shut it, sweetheart," she said in sickening sweet voice, looking down at hers and Juice's hands entwined together. "Or I can make things for your boyfriend there hard while he's inside."

Ana began to retort when Juice squeezed her hand. She looked up at him defiantly as he shook his head. Ana rolled her eyes but kept her mouth shut.

"Get him," Clay ordered in a resigned tone. Juice and Tig went to the garage, and Ana gasped when they opened Tara's trunk. Jimmy O'Phelan had been under her nose for at least an hour, and she'd had no idea.

Jimmy got out with a smug look.

"God bless the US Justice system," he said cheerfully as an agent grabbed his shoulder and put cuffs on him. "Sorry things didn't go the way you planned, but luck of the Irish, yeah?"

"How'd you know he was here?" Clay asked as Juice placed his hand on Ana's shoulder. He kissed it lightly, taking advantage of the last few moments he had with her.

However, that was ruined when Stahl shot a smug look to Jax. Ana gasped and Juice stared, dumbfounded. Jax? Jax was a fucking rat? Ana couldn't believe it, and neither could Juice, it seemed.

The compound got deadly silent for a moment before angry voices exploded around them.

"You made a deal for Jimmy?" Tig asked, outraged.

"I did it for the club," Jax said, desperately. Ana was frozen with her hands to her mouth. She didn't even notice Juice joining the mob that surrounded the VP. She wasn't even sure if she should stop him. She'd never seen him look that angry before, not even when he kicked Hector Salazar's ass.

"You ratted?!" Bobby yelled, pushing Jax into the members that surrounded him.

'I had no choice!" Jax yelled, almost in tears. "Look at everything we would have been facing! Jumping bail, federal gun charges, they could have us locked up for the rest of our lives!"

"All this time we've been tracking Jimmy," Clay yelled back heatedly "And you've been making a deal with this frigid bitch?"

"He blew up five of our men!" Juice yelled, pushing Jax away from him with disgust.

"Chibs lost his nephew," Happy added.

Gemma entered the fray then, desperate, and that's when Ana unfroze.

"She made him do it guys, please believe me," Gemma said in tears. "Clay, he didn't want to do this! He was doing it for me!"

Ana pulled Gemma back, fighting tears of her own. This was bad. Jax turned on the club, and while Ana didn't know much about how things worked, she knew that was one thing you didn't do. Jax was going to be killed. Gemma was going to lose her son, all because he thought he was doing the right thing. She caught Juice's eye as she held onto Gemma, and his eyes softened for a minute before looking back at Jax with nothing but hatred.

"You're dead!" Clay yelled, over Gemma's pleas. "You hear me? Dead!"

The guys continued to yell at Jax as they were being handcuffed. Ana let Gemma go and ran over to Juice as an agent began to lead him to the truck. She held onto him for a quick moment, and she felt his lips on her ear.

"Remember what I told you. I love you," he whispered before he was led away.

"I love you, too," she called back, her sobs breaking through. She still made her way back to Gemma and Tara, and tried to console them as the guys were placed against the car to be searched. Stahl sent another smug look her way and she almost lunged for her before catching Juice's eye again. He was being frisked on the car next to Stahl's, and he shook his head a fraction. Stepping back, she wrapped an arm around a sobbing Gemma as she kept her eyes on him. His eyes stayed locked on her until they began to take him to the van. Juice looked back at her, and when she saw a tear roll down his face, she nearly lost her composure. She felt Lyla's hand on her back and she cried when the door to the van shut.

Juice was gone, and he was going to have to be a part of killing Jax. That would only add on to the prison sentence, and it would destroy the only mother figure she had.

Ana couldn't take it anymore. As the van pulled out of the lot, she ran into the clubhouse, to Juice's dorm room, and slammed the door shut. She locked it then slid down to the floor, crying like she hadn't cried in years. Her sobs echoed through the room as she hugged her knees to her chest.

She hadn't hurt like this, even when Gavin died. This pain was raw, and unadulterated, and it demanded to be felt immediately.

Everything was perfect this morning, and in a few short hours, it had gone to hell.

* * *

><p>A couple of hours later, Ana woke up to a knock at the door. Disoriented, she unlocked it, and there stood Miles, with a bag and a letter.<p>

"Juice, he asked me to give these to you," he said with a small smile. "Burn the letter after, okay?"

Ana managed to give a smile and a nod back before she shut the door. She dropped the bag by the dresser and sat on the bed. Sighing, she opened the envelope. A key fell out, and Ana picked it up, looking at it curiously. Shrugging, she pulled out a piece of paper, and opened it. She began to read.

_Hey, babes. _

_I'm not good at this writing shit, but Jax is writing letters to Gemma and Tara, so I figured what the hell. Plus, he kinda told me it would be best to, so you don't freak out and try to punch the bitch ass feds._

_So if you're reading this and are still scared about Jax being offed, don't be. The whole thing was a setup. That ATF bitch is gone for good, and so is that motherfucker O'Phelan, and we'll be out in 14 months without Jax being known as a rat. Don't ask how, the plan is too damn brilliant to just write in a letter. Ask Opie or Chibs for the play by play. It was all Jax and Clay's idea, and it was just brilliant, babes._

_ I mean, nothing about this is cool. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you. It would make you an accessory, and after everything you've done for us, I couldn't let that be in you, too. _

_I don't like that I have to go to jail. But hey, I fucked up, and I gotta pay for it, I guess. It still seems unfair, though. We fall in love, and then I had to go and fuck up and land in jail. And I do love you, Ana Lewis. I love you so fucking much. I know I said that the club was my only family but I was stupid, that's changed. You're my family. And I can't wait to have one of our own, although you get to make the call as to when that happens. I know I'm not ready for little Juanitos, and this damn world isn't ready for a miniature Ana. Laugh, baby. It's okay. I laughed when I wrote it, because I can picture you reading it now. You're calling me an asshole, which is true, but I'm your asshole. _

_In the envelope there's a key to my apartment. You and Gemma go in there, throw out anything that you don't want in your house, and move my shit in with you. I want to come home to you when I'm out. Just don't throw out my video games. I'm going to teach you the ways of the force...um...of Call of Duty and Halo and all that. And if I can't teach you, then it's still going to be my downtime. Just please don't throw them out. Those games are like your paints._

_I don't know what else can be said except I love you. And I do. So fucking much. I want to marry you and have kids with you and all that love bullshit that Happy will torture me about the entire time we're inside. You make me want more out of life than the club, and that's good. That's so good._

_So please wait for me. And know that even though I'm in prison, they can't stop me from thinking about my one reason to get out: you._

_I love you, Analis._

_Juan Carlos_

_PS: the bag has the money that Jax got from Stahl to fool the Russians. Your dad's money is still with the Russians. So guess what? You can spend it. Your dad no longer has anything on you, and it's not like Stahl needs it now. So you spend it however you want. Hey, Jax said he'd make it up to you, didn't he?_

Ana fiddled with the key as she read and reread the letter. Jax wasn't a rat. The whole thing -the anger, the threats on Jax's life- it was an act. Ana felt so relieved when she reread it, making sure it wasn't a dream. The club was staying whole, and her man had a reduced sentence. Ana cried happily this time, hugging the letter to her chest.

Everything was going to be okay.

* * *

><p><em><strong>And part one is done! Honestly, I stayed up til 5AM writing this, and I'm actually pretty proud of it. <strong>_

_**I cannot wait to start the next part, and I've got some of it wrote already.**_

_**Thank you to everyone who's been following this. You guys are amazing. Special thanks to the regular reviewer, stormdec23. She's reviewed every chapter, and I appreciate it so much!**_


End file.
